RSF: Africa at threshold of ‘promising era’

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Europe correspondent Leave a comment

Africa came with a score that is slightly better than in 2017 but also contained a wide range of internal variation (see our regional analysis The dangers of reporting in Africa).

#RSFIndex: In 2018, #Norway is still first and #NorthKorea is still last in the World #PressFreedom Indexhttps://t.co/nBwxqZqG5l pic.twitter.com/5PPhpAujxT

— RSF (@RSF_inter) April 26, 2018

Frequent Internet cuts, especially in Cameroon (129th) and Democratic Republic of Congo (154th), combined with frequent attacks and arrests are the region’s latest forms of censorship. Mauritania (72nd) suffered the region’s biggest fall (17 places) after adopting a law under which blasphemy and apostasy are punishable by death even if the accused repents.

Journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa face intimidation, physical violence, and arrest for simply doing their jobs, according to @RSF_inter's 2018 World Press Freedom Index. #JournalismIsNotACrime https://t.co/eBt7Qon5es

— CPJ Africa (@CPJAfrica) April 26, 2018

But a more promising era for journalists may result from the departure of three of Africa’s most predatory presidents, in Zimbabwe (up two as 126th), Angola (up four at 121st) and Gambia, whose 21-place jump to 122nd was Africa’s biggest.