No justice, over month after 15 men beat Nigerian journalist investigating phone scam
Abuja, May 28, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Nigerian authorities to swiftly identify and hold to account at least 15 men who assaulted journalist Allwell Ene as he was investigating an alleged phone scam in the southern city of Port Harcourt. Police spokesperson Blessing Agabe announced on World Press Freedom Day, May 3,…
Senegalese journalist René Capain Bassène released after over 8 years in detention
Dakar, May 27, 2026—CPJ welcomes the release of journalist and writer René Capain Bassène, who had been detained since 2018 in Senegal. Bassène was sentenced to life in prison on charges of complicity in murder and attempted murder, crimes that CPJ reporting found he could not have committed. “CPJ is particularly pleased by Senegalese President…
Drones strike radio station in rebel-held DRC, with threat to kill next time
The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has joined a growing number of conflicts where drones are being used to target journalists, as two strikes hit a community radio station, followed by calls and messages threatening further attacks over its reporting on militia abuses. The bombing of Radio Tuungane in South Kivu province’s rebel-controlled Minembwe…
Niger suspends 9 French media outlets for alleged public order threat
Dakar, May 15, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in Niger to reverse the suspension of nine France-based news outlets and to release all four journalists jailed since last year. The affected outlets are state-funded broadcasters France 24 and Radio France Internationale (RFI), Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency, TV5Monde network, the pan-African weekly…
DRC journalist detained since January, another in hiding after mining impact report
Kinshasa, May 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to release journalist Stéphane Shisso, who was arrested in January after reporting on erosion caused by mining, and to ensure the safety of his colleague Guelord Shamba, who is in hiding. “It is a grave injustice that…
Rwandan YouTuber dies of alleged overdose on day of release from prison
Nairobi, May 8, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an independent and credible investigation into the death of Rwandan YouTube commentator Aimable Karasira Uzaramba on Wednesday, the day of his scheduled release from prison at the end of his five-year sentence. In a statement, the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) said that 48-year-old Karasira died…
New CPJ podcast reveals torture, coerced testimony in case of jailed Senegalese journalist René Capain Bassène
Dakar, May 4, 2026—A new podcast released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) presents extensive new testimony and reporting on the conviction of Senegalese journalist and author René Capain Bassène, raising serious questions about the integrity of a case that has become one of West Africa’s most emblematic press freedom concerns. The six-part series,…
Senegal rebel leader rejects prosecution claims against journalist René Capain Bassène
A key Senegalese rebel leader, César Atoute Badiate, has broken his silence on jailed journalist René Capain Bassène, refuting the prosecution’s claim that Bassène was a militant fighting for independence of the Casamance region who incited him to murder 14 illegal loggers in 2018. “René Capain Bassène is neither an MFDC representative nor a leader…
CPJ calls on Zambian president to champion the media as World Press Freedom Day host
The Committee to Protect Journalists wrote to Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema expressing concern over recent attacks on journalists and legislation that negatively impacts the media, as the country prepares to host the United Nations’ World Press Freedom Day 2026 Global Conference on May 3. The letter also calls on Hichilema to create a safe and…
Ugandan journalists face up to 20 years in jail under draconian foreign agents bill
Uganda is set to pass a foreign agents bill, whose sweeping provisions could be used to imprison journalists critically reporting on economics, foreign policy, or elections for up to 20 years, limit foreign media funding to about $100,000, and subject newsrooms to intrusive state oversight. The Protection of Sovereignty Bill says it aims to register…