January 29, 2021 will be remembered as a historic date for African journalists. On that day as part of an online event the IFJ and the FAJ, the Federation of African Journalists, its regional group, joined forces with UNESCO, the African Union, NGOs and employers' organisations to launch the Digital Platform for the Safety of Journalists in Africa, similar to the one existing since 2014 in Europe under the aegis of the Council of Europe, where the IFJ and the EFJ, its regional group, play a leading role.
The IFJ and FAJ will now have the possibility to post alerts on this Platform to denounce an attack on a journalist, a violation of the right to inform, online harassment and all other rights violations. The country in which the incident took place will be invited to answer and address the questions raised by our organisations, and the information will be made public.
The platform aims to promote the safety of journalists in Africa and end impunity for crimes committed against journalists.
Since 1990, 467 journalists have been murdered on the continent and as of 31 December 2020, 62 were still in prison, according to the latest IFJ World Journalism White Paper.
This platform represents a first step towards more freedom for journalists on the continent, and therefore to more rights for African citizens.
Anthony Bellanger
IFJ General Secretary