AU calls for end to impunity for crimes against journalists

By  Hilary Kimuyu

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

The African Union (AU) has called on member states to strengthen protections for journalists, investigate attacks against media workers and prosecute perpetrators, warning that impunity threatens democracy, human rights and accountability across the continent.

In a joint statement marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, the African Union Commission and the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) said governments must take concrete measures to prevent attacks and ensure justice for victims.

The statement was issued by Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and Omar Faruk Osman, president of the FAJ.

The two organisations warned that journalists across Africa continue to face killings, physical assaults, arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, intimidation, legal harassment and digital abuse.

They said attacks on journalists were also violations of fundamental human rights, particularly freedom of expression and access to information.

“Every journalist must be able to report without fear of violence or reprisal,” the statement said, reaffirming the organisations’ commitment to a continent where crimes against journalists are investigated and perpetrators brought to justice.

This year’s global theme, “Threats evolve. Impunity endures,” highlights the changing dangers facing journalists, particularly those covering armed conflicts, elections, corruption and human rights violations.

The AU and FAJ said female journalists were especially vulnerable to gender-based threats, harassment and online violence, while journalists reporting from conflict zones continued to work under severe pressure.

“When attacks go unpunished, perpetrators are emboldened, public-interest reporting is silenced and communities are denied information necessary for participation in public life and the exercise of democratic rights,” they warned.

The organisations urged member states to establish or strengthen national mechanisms for journalists’ safety, ensure law enforcement officers respect the role of the media and protect journalists covering protests, elections, emergencies and armed conflicts.

They also cautioned against using laws to intimidate journalists, obstruct legitimate reporting or restrict freedom of expression.

“We urge governments to address digital threats, including surveillance, online harassment and technology-facilitated gender-based violence, while safeguarding human rights,” they said.

The statement called for closer cooperation among governments, continental and regional institutions, media organisations, journalists’ unions and civil society, with journalists and their representative organisations involved in developing and monitoring safety measures.

The AU said the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights protects freedom of expression and access to information, while the AU Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security and the Peace and Security Council have consistently emphasised media freedom, journalists’ safety and information integrity.

Independent media, the organisations said, remained essential to peace, democracy, accountability and the people-centred development envisaged under the AU’s Agenda 2063.

The AU’s call comes amid persistent concerns over the killing of journalists and the failure to hold those responsible accountable.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said at least 34 journalists had been killed over the preceding year, with six out of every seven such killings going unpunished.

“Over the past year, at least 34 journalists paid the ultimate price. Six of every seven such killings go unpunished. In conflict settings, the rate of impunity is close to 100 percent,” Mr Guterres said in his message marking the day.

“This is a heinous affront to the victims and their loved ones, as well as all of us who depend on journalists to remain informed and engaged.”

He called for an end to impunity, warning that attacks on journalists undermine human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The findings are reflected in the Director-General’s Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity, published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) every two years to coincide with the observance on 2 November.

The report recorded journalist killings across all regions during the 2024–2025 biennium, describing the trend as a global scourge.

The Arab States recorded the highest number of verified cases, at 97, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean with 37, Asia and the Pacific with 34, Central and Eastern Europe with 14, Africa with six, and Western Europe and North America with one.

The report identified the State of Palestine as the location with the highest number of journalist killings in both years, recording 30 in the first year and 32 in the second.

It also highlighted the growing use of drones as a threat to journalists. During 2024–2025, drone strikes killed 50 journalists, accounting for 40 percent of all journalists killed in conflict zones, according to Unesco.

The findings underscore concerns that technological advances and changing methods of warfare are exposing media workers to new dangers, even as accountability for attacks remains elusive.

In Somalia, the European Union called for stronger protection of women journalists, citing the threats and harassment they face while carrying out their professional duties.

Karin Gatt-Rutter, representing the EU, made the appeal on 2 November during an event marking the international day, which also saw the launch of a report on Somali women journalists.

Ms Gatt-Rutter said journalists, particularly women, often take significant risks to keep the public informed and play an important role in upholding democracy.

She also highlighted the growing influence of social media, acknowledging its importance in sharing information while warning that it can facilitate the spread of misinformation.“I call on journalists and media organisations to verify information before publishing or sharing it,” she said, describing fact-checking as a fundamental professional responsibility.

The EU Delegation in Mogadishu, she said, would continue engaging with media organisations and Somalia’s Ministry of Information to protect the freedom and dignity of journalists.

The concerns reflect the broader challenges facing women journalists across the continent, including threats that extend beyond physical attacks to online abuse and gender-based intimidation.

In Kenya, journalists’ safety concerns extend beyond physical violence to the economic and psychological pressures confronting media workers.

“We cannot talk about press freedom without talking about the welfare of journalists,” said Kenya Editors’ Guild president Zubeidah Kananu.

The Pain Behind the Byline survey by the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) and the Media Council of Kenya paints a troubling picture of journalists’ working conditions.

According to the survey, 52 percent of respondents earn less than Sh50,000 a month, while only 45 percent are permanently employed. Another 42 percent receive no employment benefits.

The survey also raised concerns about mental health, with 83 percent of respondents reporting depressive symptoms on a screening assessment and 65 percent falling within the moderate-to-severe range.

The findings highlight the relationship between journalists’ welfare, their ability to work safely and the broader question of press freedom.

The AU and FAJ maintain that ending impunity is essential to protecting human rights, strengthening democratic governance and building peaceful societies.

They called on African governments to honour their obligations under regional and international human rights law, investigate attacks against journalists, punish perpetrators and provide effective remedies to victims.

Their appeal places responsibility on governments not only to condemn attacks but also to ensure that journalists can work freely and safely without fear of violence, intimidation or reprisal.

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