In October 2020, President Julius Maada Bio assented a new law that repealed Sierra Leone’s criminal libel law.

Sierra Leone repealed its criminal libel and seditious laws (Part V of the Public Order Act of 1965) in 2020. Thereafter, press freedom has been expanding in the country with the progress story punctuated by improvements in the legal environment, development of press freedom watchdog institutions and a consolidation of the architecture of these institutions.

And all of these positives have been happening amidst fine cooperation between the government and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), a trade union of journalists in the country.

However, there still remain troubling chapters in the story – physical attacks, threats, judicial harassment, summons, arrests and detentions, and the intimidating interrogation of journalists by government institutions still take place in Sierra Leone.

Then there is the problem of the country’s telecommunications law still empowering officials to revoke the licenses of broadcast media houses at the discretion of the authorities.

Consequently, two years after Sierra Leone repealed its criminal libel law, the state of press freedom remains a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good

On 12t September 2022, executives of the SLAJ met with the Minister of Information, and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, in Brookfields, Freetown and struck a conversation that threw up many exciting positives for press freedom.

President of the SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, cited the repeal of the criminal libel law (in 2020) as one of a number of good developments from a fine relationship that the SLAJ has with the government. This achievement has since served as a launch pad for other positives, including the hosting of a media viability and investment conference.

The President of the SLAJ has been at the forefront of the media’s engagement with the government. Nasralla reported that the conference, which was funded by the BBC Media Action through the Government of Sierra Leone, has led to Sierra Leone being listed as one of 17 countries to benefit from the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM).

In anticipation of the windfall from the IFPIM, Nasralla said SLAJ and other media stakeholders have been working with the Ministry of Information and Communications to put in place structures to manage and administer the local counterpart of the IFPIM that the Government will also commit funds to.

Also, he recounted, a Multi Stakeholders Advisory Board and a Technical Working Group have been set up in advance in that regard. These groups, he added, will be responsible for follow-up on, and implementation of the other recommendations that came out of the historic media conference.

The government, in addition, has instituted an annual subvention to SLAJ as a way of strengthening the press association champion the cause of journalists and journalism in the country.

Probably, the most important fruit that has yielded from the cooperation between the government and SLAJ is the enactment of the Cyber Security and Crimes Act 2021. This law, which now governs the cyber space in Sierra Leone, provides guidelines on online conduct.

Also, under a USD50 million World Bank grant, the Government of Sierra Leone is identifying all critical national information infrastructure to declare critical. Meanwhile, a Data Protection Bill is to be tabled before Parliament. And as part of the general progress, the government has committed to help the SLAJ with state lands for the construction of a national office and satellite offices for the Association in the Eastern and Southern regions.

On November 2, 2021, SLAJ signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the national security administration to commemorate the international day to end impunity for crimes against journalists after a round table dialogue on law and order. Around that same time, Sierra Leone signed the Global Pledge on Media Freedom, becoming the fifth country in Africa to commit to the values and principles of Media Freedom Coalition.

In 2021, Sierra Leone’s ranking on the world press freedom index improved by ten places from 2020’s position of 85 out of 180 countries to 75 out of 180.

However, in spite of the convivial relationship between government and SLAJ, there are concerns.

The bad

Certain aspects of the Cyber Security and Crimes Act have the potential to infringe on citizens’ right to free expression, especially when online. in this regard, Section 44 of the Act is particular, harbors various offenses that could easily be used unfairly against journalists.

Also, it has been of concern that media and civil society representatives are not included  on the Advisory Council provided for in the Act.

But probably, the most problematic of the bad things conspiring against press freedom in Sierra Leone are the country’s telecommunications laws. Specifically, Sections 30 and 65 of the laws allows the media regulator, National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM), to suspend or cancel broadcast licenses for various violations. The list of violations include fraud, treason, and, according to the law, “where the suspension or cancellation is in the public interest.” This particular part of the law is very worrying because it amounts to arming the authorities with power to close down stations at whim.

Also, Section 65 requires broadcasters to obtain “a general or specific license” to operate a radio transmitter. On the basis of this law, NATCOM suspended the licenses of privately owned broadcast networks Star Radio and Star TV for over two weeks in August, 2022 and denied workers access to the broadcaster’s transmitters in Brookfields, a neighborhood in western Freetown. This was for the alleged nonrenewal of broadcast licenses.

It remains a concern that the government has failed to pass a Data Protection law which is long overdue after the passage of the Cyber Security and Crime Act. Similarly, a National Computer Security Incidence Response Coordination center, which is supposed to manage cyber security incidents, is still yet to be set up.

Meanwhile, in spite of the 2020 repeal of the criminal libel law and an increasingly cosy relationship between the SLAJ and the government, media practitioners strangely, continue to suffer arrests, detentions and crude attacks in Sierra Leone.

The Ugly

Journalists continue to suffer brutalization at the hands of all manner of persons, from private citizens to security agents. In addition to assault and battery, and even murder attempts, journalists have also suffered intimidations and summons over their work.

On February 17, 2022, journalist Alusine Antha, was attacked by about 30 people in the western city of Waterloo, while he was covering a meeting over a land dispute.

In April 2022, TV reporter Gibril Gottor was the subject of a suspected assassination attempt. His home was doused in petrol, in what appears to be a planned arson attack against him. It is believed that he became a target due to his investigation of a number of sensitive issues, including the alleged rape of a minor by a police officer and the extortion of fishermen by naval personnel.

In the course of his investigations, Gibril had also received threats and a number of court summonses. As a result of the suspected arson attempt, he has been forced to stay away from his family in order to not endanger them.

Investigative journalist Fayia Amara Fayia was beaten by military personnel in Kenema on April 2, 2020, for taking pictures of a COVID-19 facility.

Earlier, in April 2020, journalist Fayia Amara Fayia, of the Standard Times newspaper, was attacked and beaten by about 10 soldiers in Sierra Leone’s eastern Kenema city. He was hit with guns and kicked, according to a statement by the SLAJ, a local press freedom group. Fayia, whose phone was seized in the attack, was set upon after he photographed a new COVID-19 quarantine center. Later he would be arrested and charged with allegedly assaulting a soldier and District Head Mohammed O. Sesay, a local official who was at the scene and arraigned before court.

On July 2, 2022, four Sierra Leone soldiers slapped, punched, and kicked broadcast journalist Maada Jessie Jengo on various parts of his body, and also slashed his face with a sharp object.

Meanwhile, as already noted, the country’s media regulator, NATCOM, in August 2021, suspended the licenses of privately owned broadcast networks, Star Radio and Star TV, over alleged default in the renewal of broadcast licenses.

In October 2021, The Times newspaper editor, Salieu Tejan, received death threats while President Julius Maada Bio reportedly made moves to get him arrested over his critical reporting. Mr. Tejan was forced to flee the country as a result.

The rundown

The press freedom environment in Sierra Leone is certainly a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly so that even though commendations may be in order for the government such commendations can only be given, while tinged with sadness.

To improve the situation, the government and stakeholders have their duties cut out for them. Tougher muscle certainly needs to be brought on perpetrators of attacks on journalists. Government needs to have a second look at the aspects of the cyber law that create the potential for people to be arrested for expressing themselves online, while Sections 30 and 65 must absolutely be repealed to disarm the NATCOM of the power to capriciously close down broadcast stations.

Of course, SLAJ should take advantage of its cosy relationship with the government to nudge said government into undertaking reforms. Also, it should instigate public educational campaigns on the need for a truly free press environment in Sierra Leone, while media houses must beef up security for their journalists.

The post Journalists’ trade union pushing for press freedom in Sierra Leone appeared first on IFEX.

Authorities in Sierra Leone should ensure that Star television and radio stations can broadcast news without undue interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

In mid-August, Sierra Leone’s broadcast media regulator, National Telecommunications Commission, suspended the licenses of privately owned broadcasters Star Radio and Star TV for over two weeks and denied workers access to the broadcasters’ transmitters in Brookfields, a neighborhood in western Freetown, the capital, according to an August 19 commission statement and Philip Neville, the broadcasters’ founder who holds 70% ownership of shares and handles the finances.

Neville, who spoke with CPJ by phone, said that in mid-August, commission officers arrived at the offices of the broadcasters’ transmitters and ordered all the staff to vacate the premises. Neville also said the officers told him that they gave the order because the broadcasters failed to pay about 140 million leones (US$10,000) of allegedly accumulated debt that the broadcasters owed to the commission for broadcast licenses, including some licenses no longer in use. Before the commission officers’ visit and the suspension of licenses, the broadcasters believed payments to the commission were up to date and there was no debt, according to Neville.

“Authorities in Sierra Leone should allow Star television and radio stations to continue reporting the news and provide the public with information,” said Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s sub-Saharan Africa representative, in Nairobi. “Media regulators are too often used as tools to gag the media and the suspension of Star raises concern over freedom of the press in Sierra Leone.”  

The commission’s statement said that the broadcasters failed to comply with sections 30 and 65 of the country’s telecommunications laws. According to CPJ’s review, Section 30 allows the commission to suspend or cancel broadcast licenses for various violations, including fraud, treason, or “where the suspension or cancellation is in the public interest”; Section 65 requires broadcasters to obtain “a general or specific license” to operate a radio transmitter. Neither section indicated penalties for violations and CPJ could not determine how the commission calculated the US$10,000 amount.

On August 25, Neville said that the broadcasters were permitted to resume usage of the transmitters and begin broadcasting again after his office paid 74 million leones, the equivalent of about US$5,300, to the regulator on August 23, adding that the regulator still expected the broadcasters to pay the remaining amount.

According to Neville and a copy of a 2017 letter he wrote to the commission, which CPJ reviewed, authorities granted the broadcasters separate licenses to operate in five regions – Freetown, Mile 91, Makeni, Bo, and Kenema – at the cost of US$700 annually for each radio frequency and US$2,000 annually for one television frequency.

Neville’s 2017 letter also said he had informed the commission that year that the broadcasters no longer used three of the frequencies in Bo, Kenema, and Makeni to reduce production costs, but continued to pay 6 million leones (about US$430) monthly to cover the licenses still in use. However, Neville told CPJ that the commission continued to bill his office for renewal of licenses no longer in use. Neville told CPJ that the broadcasters had always paid for the licenses used.

Neville told CPJ that he did not understand how the US$10,000 amount had been determined. He added that paying that full amount would place financial strain on the broadcasters’ operations.

Daniel Kaitibi, commission director general, and Abdul Ben-Foday, commission director of corporate and industry affairs, both confirmed to CPJ over the phone that the broadcasters’ licenses were suspended because they allegedly owed the commission US$10,000. Ben-Foday told CPJ that the commission was empowered by law to make access to the licenses conditional on payment.

Neville alleged that the commission’s decision to suspend his broadcasters’ licenses was in reprisal for Star TV’s August 13 airing of an episode of a Facebook talk show “Tell It To Racheal,” by U.S.-based journalist Racheal Bangura Davies.

Participants on the episode, which CPJ reviewed, blamed the Sierra Leonean government for causing violence that erupted during a nationwide protest on August 10.

Neville said the airing of the talk show episode “did not go down well” with the government, which accused the broadcasters of inciting the public against authorities. The government used the commission to punish the broadcasters, Neville said.

In a text message to CPJ, Sierra Leone information minister Mohamed Rahman Swaray denied that the suspension of the broadcasters’ licenses was connected to the airing of the talk show episode.

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When he turned up for COVID-19 coverage duties in Kenema, Sierra Leone’s third largest city, investigative journalist Fayia Amara Fayia hardly imagined that it would be the beginning of almost three years of prosecution for practicing journalism.

This was on April 20, 2020, a time coronavirus had just begun turning the world on its head, overstretching some of the world’s most sophisticated healthcare systems.

The journalist with the Standard Times newspaper had gone to a suspected COVID-19 quarantine facility at Dama Road to report on activities there. However, he and other journalists who had come to seek information on the facility were denied entry. He, therefore, decided to take photos with his phone from a distance.

There was no warning sign on the facility to prevent photography but a man identified as the District Council Chairman, Mohamed Sesay, ordered him to stop taking the photographs and asked to meet him “in camera.”

Unsure of the intention behind that request, Fayia insisted that the Council Chair should engage him in the open.

That infuriated Sesay, who allegedly called a soldier, Major Fofanah, to deal with the journalist. The soldier lunged into Fayia and grabbed his mobile phone, before calling his colleagues, military men, about nine in number, to subject the journalist to a severe beating – including a flurry of punches, gun butts and kicking. They then threw him into a van and took him to the police station.

The journalist fell unconscious at the police station and was rushed to the Kenema Government Hospital where he was admitted and confined to a wheelchair, still under police custody. Upon his discharge from the hospital after four days, Fayia was returned to the police station and detained for three days.

Seven days after soldiers assaulted Fayia, the police arraigned him in Kenema on three counts of assault, disorderly behaviour and obstruction of security officers’ duties. The charges carry a minimum sentence of two years.

Since then, he has been in court more than a dozen times while his case drags on. His legal headache has since joined the laundry list of cases adjourned indefinitely.

Fayia’s incident is a sad case of a victim turned accused.

He is one of many journalists on the roll call of media personnel who had been attacked in Sierra Leone by security personnel and members of the public, including a musician.

But there is a new wind of change blowing in the country with the Atlantic Ocean sitting at the feet of its green rolling hills.

On August 2, 2022, the conference hall of the New Brokefields Hotel in Freetown hosted a gathering of stakeholders concerned with the safety and protection of journalists – the media, the police, national security, the military, civil society organisations and even the Sierra Leone Revenue Agency.

It was for the launch of the Comprehensive Framework on the Protection of Journalists – a document meant to address contemporary issues affecting the Sierra Leonean media.

Developed by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) through a joint process involving media actors, including the Media Reforms Coordinating Group (MCRG) and state actors in Sierra Leone, it is part of efforts to reduce incidents of media rights violations, increase responsiveness by authorities to addressing media rights violations and to reduce acts of impunity for crimes against journalists in the country.

The 22-page document addresses concerns about professionalism, better conditions of service, safety and protection of journalists.

Going into the significance of the event, the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Nasralla, said relations between the police and media had been frosty in the last 50 years.

He called it a “cat and mouse” game in both civilian and military regimes of the past and today. But the media has always been at the receiving end of impunity – assaults, invasion of offices, and seizure of equipment.

However, things took a turn for the better when in November last year, SLAJ decided to invite the security services to the event to mark the International Day to End Impunity for crimes against journalists, which was celebrated globally on November 2 last year.

That move would later birth the signing of an MOU between SLAJ and the security services to enhance cooperation and mutual understanding to promote the safety of journalists.

“At that programme, we came to the understanding that we are working in the collective interest of our country and don’t need to fight,” Mr Nasralla said.

When he took his turn, the Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, Solomon Jamiru, said the government would work extra hard to ensure that Sierra Leonean journalists work in a safe and conducive environment.

Decades of a campaign to repeal the Criminal Libel Law in Sierra bore fruits in 2020 while the Bio administration receive plaudit for expanding the frontiers of press freedom.

With that in mind, Mr Jamiru, noted that the framework was another golden moment to ensure that “the gains we’ve made improving the media environment in Sierra Leone [are] consolidated.”

When Fayia’s ordeal came up, the deputy minister promised to use his private legal firm to bring closure to the journalist’s prosecution.

While acknowledging the excesses of the security services, he also urged the media to be ethical.

He called for an equilibrium between the rights of journalists to practice and the truth the public deserves.

That is a position the Chairman of Sierra Leone Independent Media Commission, Dr. Victor Massaquoi, nodded to, and said that rights go together with responsibilities.

With cases involving journalists taking forever to adjudicate, Dr Massaquoi also dared the judiciary.

“The judiciary will be held accountable if it fails to ensure the speedy trial of journalists in cases before the courts,” he said, prompting cheers from the participants.

Even more daring, he said the commission would no longer license media houses that fail to demonstrate that they had the financial muscle to pay journalists.

He, however, expressed concern about how some journalists connive with their employers to deceive the commission about their poor remunerations – an act he said undermined efforts to improve conditions of service for media personnel.

“Journalist must be paid at least their minimum wage. Journalists want jobs so sometimes they connive with media owners to accept reduced salaries,” he said.

Experts say poor remunerations of media personnel in West Africa contribute to unethical journalism and inadequate critical journalism in the region.

Before Dr Massaquoi took the podium, the principal characters in the theatre of assaults on journalists – the military and the police –  pledged to contribute to their quota to a conducive environment for media personnel.

The Head of Sierra Police Public Relations, Assistant Commissioner of Police Brima Karama, said the friction between the media and the house was due to journalists’ quest to get stories and meet deadlines while police were concerned about public order.

However, on a Day of Goodwill between the two institutions, he pledged safety for journalists performing their lawful duty.

Representatives from the National Security and the military made similar pledges.

There were also moments of peer review at the event, where participants expressed concern about unprofessionalism and partisanship in the media.

A participant also recommended that the work of the media should be imbibed in the training manual for police and military personnel.

In Sierra Leone, just like other parts of Africa, journalists are often soft targets for security services, political actors and thugs. With little or no data to show for the prosecution of the perpetrators, impunity reigns, leaving journalists vulnerable to recurrent violent attacks.

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The call for application for the second edition of the Next Generation Investigative Journalism (NGIJ) Fellowship programme received nearly 200 entries from three countries.

The second edition of the NGIJ Fellowship programme requested applications from Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, an expansion from the first edition, which admitted applicants only from Ghana.

The applicants for this year’s programme included early-career journalists, young communication professionals and budding forensic scientists. After a thorough selection process, 13 applicants have been admitted to the programme.

Here are their brief profiles:

Diana Amoako Boakyewaa, Ghana

Diana is a young journalist who hopes her stories will bridge the gap in quality education between the rich and the less privileged, especially young girls living in rural communities.

Prior to joining the Fellowship, she interned at Metropolitan TV (Metro TV) in Accra and with the Director of Research, Innovation and Development at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, where she earned her degree. Diana is also a communication research assistant working with a communication political analysis outfit.

She has a great interest in making a positive impact in society through journalism, and has, thus, been working towards achieving it.

Philip Teye Agbove, Ghana

Philip works with the state-owned news agency, Ghana News Agency, and is also a correspondent for UK-based SheHub.tv.

An indigene from the coastal area in the Greater Accra region of Ghana, Philip has dedicated a part of his young journalism career to highlighting the dangers of human trafficking on the Volta Lake of Ghana. He hopes his journalism brings an end to the menace.

Philip anticipates that through investigative journalism he will find solutions to complex issues and solve the recurring problems in society. Ultimately, he aims to project the developmental interest of indigenous societies.

Forgbe Emma Kloh, Liberia

Forgbe traces her interest in investigative journalism to the beginning of her journalism career. That interest has kept her in contact with many greats in the field, including Liberia’s Rodney Sieh.

She works for the University of Liberia Radio (Lux FM 106.5) where she has been putting into practice some of the investigative journalism lessons she’s learnt from mentorship programmes. She had previously worked with Prime Communications Incorporated (Prime FM 105.5) in Liberia.

Forgbe wants to be recognized as an inspiration to many young journalists and hopes her work will, in the future, be celebrated among the most experienced and outstanding journalists in Africa.

Salifu Abdul-Gafaru Ayamdoo, Ghana

Salifu has partly fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a journalist by working in Dreamz FM in Bolgatanga, the capital of the Upper East region of Ghana, where he has served as a show host and reporter. But his stint at the radio station over the last few years has made him realise how powerful journalism and the media is in shaping society.

Salifu has, thus, set a goal that his journalistic works should contribute to creating a society which is just and provides equal opportunities to everyone. He derives his inspiration from amplifying the voice of the vulnerable being heard and keeping duty bearers on their toes.

Marian Amaria Bangura, Sierra Leone

Marian’s journalism career started by reporting, producing and presenting news on campus-based Radio Mount Aureole of the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, where she earned her degree in Mass Communication.

While she has been reporting on diverse issues in her country, Marian’s main desire has been to ensure transparency and equality. This has made her develop interest in accountability journalism with a focus on human rights and anti-corruption.

Marian works for the Radio, TV and Newspaper outlets of the Africa Young Voices (AYV) Media Empire in Sierra Leone.

It’s her love and passion for telling stories that drives her on, and she hopes to grow to become a colossus who will inspire other young journalists.

Victoria Enyonam Adonu, Ghana

Victoria is motivated by the works of some of the great journalists who have had results and transformed the lives of many people. That is also her inspiration – to be among Africa’s biggest investigative journalists whose works will engineer social change.

Currently a writer and editor with a publishing firm in Ghana, Victoria has a degree in Communication Studies from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana where she majored in Journalism. She has previously interned at Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Ghana News Agency and ATL FM.

Victoria is impressed with good writing, especially great storytelling skills. She’s hoping to hone hers to be among the best.

Norah Aluayo Kwami, Ghana

For Norah, the Next Generation Investigative Journalism Fellowship has set her miles ahead to achieving her career goal of becoming an investigative journalist. Having graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and majored in Journalism, she greatly fancied investigative reporting.

Nora is motivated by the kind of journalism that is driven by solution, change and impact. She loves reading, researching and fact-finding.

It is her hope that she will be counted among the celebrated female investigative journalists in Africa in the future.

Victor Jones, Sierra Leone

Victor has two great passions – love for humanity and fighting against corruption. He has thus, used his journalism career to pursue both passions since 2012.

Jones is a Sierra Leonean broadcaster who works with the state-run Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). He has produced several video documentaries that have directly impacted Sierra Leoneans’ lives at home and abroad. The peak of it was in 2017 when he worked as a correspondent for the BBC where he produced on-site reportage of the mudslide incident at Mortomeh in rural Freetown.

Jones previously worked for Radio Maria Sierra Leone, campus-based Radio Mount Aureole and Freetown Television Network (FTN).

He hopes to put Sierra Leonean journalism on the global map.

Sedem Kwasigah, Ghana

Sedem is a forensic scientist with the goal to transform Ghanaian society. He envisages achieving this goal through the media, journalism and technology.

Already a member of a media team of a prominent religious organization in Ghana where he practices photojournalism, Sedem who’s also an open-source investigator, wants his work to contribute to ensuring a safe society and justice for all.

He has previously worked with a number of security services in Ghana. He was also a teaching assistant and a forensic photography researcher.

Thelma Dede Amedeku, Ghana

Thelma aspires to have her name among the few notable female investigative journalists in Ghana. A graduate of the Ghana Institute of Journalism, Thelma is a content writer for a digital agency in Ghana.

She previously interned at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and the National Media Commission (NMC), Ghana’s media regulator, where she also worked as an administrative assistant.

Thelma is buoyed by the fact that she’s able to provide critical information to the masses through her journalism as she reckons information is power. She hopes her works make a great impact on many people.

Edmund Agyemang Boateng, Ghana

Edmund is driven by the desire to create a society that will ensure the unborn generations have equal opportunities to thrive. It is that desire that has given him an immense interest in impactful journalism.

Before joining the fellowship, Edmund worked as a reporter for Pulse Ghana but his writings are published across many prominent platforms in Ghana.

An avid reader, Edmund wants to use his voice to fight for the rights of vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Linda Essilfie-Nyame, Ghana

Linda graduated from the University of Ghana with a degree in Political Science and English. But her passion has been to tell stories that bring change to society, hence she volunteered for the University of Ghana’s Radio Universe, 105.7 FM where she served in various capacities, including as a producer, reporter and news anchor for two years.

Linda’s broadcasting reporting stint has taught her the potential of journalism in making an impact. She has since aimed at telling stories that will bring change to people and improve their standard of living.

Shadrack Odame, Ghana

Shadrack is a media researcher and communication professional. He holds a master’s degree from the Ghana Institute of Journalism where he also served as an assistant lecturer. He has previously worked as a reporter for Metropolitan TV and OXZY FM.

His interest and experience in journalism and media research have emphasized to him the importance of investigative journalism. He strives to ensure accountability among the public office holders through his reports as he believes the political office is an opportunity to serve and not be served.

It will give Shadrack great joy if his stories cause positive change in society and is referenced in social discussions.

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The Media Foundation for West Africa welcomes the intervention of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), which has led to the Clerk of Parliament issuing an apology to Abdulai Gbla, a journalist who was assaulted by a Member of Parliament.

A statement dated July 6 and signed by SLAJ’s National Secretary General, Alhaji Manika Kamara, announced the development, adding that the leadership of Parliament have recommended an investigation into the assault.

On June 28, 2022, a Member of Parliament, Hon. Abdul Muniru Lansana, attacked Abdulai Gbla, the Chief Executive Officer of Gbla & Co Multimedia, operators of Gbla TV online, and a member of the Sierra Leone Parliamentary Press Gallery. The incident occurred inside the National Assembly. The journalist was filming a scuffle between some MPs from the majority and minority sides of the House after official parliamentary proceedings had closed when Abdul Muniru Lansana ordered him to stop. When Gbla ignored the order, the MP, representing Constituency 121 in the Western Area, pushed and shoved him, almost sending him to the floor. Not satisfied, the angry lawmaker knocked the journalist’s gadget (Samsung Galaxy Note 20 ULTRA) onto the floor. Fortunately, the gadget was not damaged and the journalist was rescued and escorted out by other MPs present.

In a complaint letter to SLAJ on the same day, Gbla said Hon. Muniru Lansana has held a grudge against him for a year now after he did a story about the MP’s clash with commercial motor bicycle riders over a piece of land which the latter were using as their terminal.

Following the complaint, the executive of SLAJ led by President Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, held a meeting with the Clerk of Parliament, Hon Umarr Paran Tarawally, in his office at the premises of Parliament in a bid to amicably resolve the case. At the beginning of the meeting, the Clerk, on behalf of the MP, apologised to the journalist for what he described as “the unfortunate incident.”

The SLAJ statement said “Parliament will constitute a committee to investigate the incident and make recommendations. The committee shall include journalist Abdulai Gbla and a representative from the SLAJ Executive. The committee shall conclude their investigation by Friday 15th July 2022 and would decide on the next steps.”

“I appreciate the fact that SLAJ took the matter up seriously with Parliament, and Parliament has considered making an apology. I think that in itself is good. I appreciate the fact that Parliament has reached out to me. The fact that Parliament wants to mount an investigation is also good because we need to explain ourselves: what happened, what led the MP to do that to me. Maybe he needs to explain. And after everything, I want to see the recommendations,” Gbla told the MFWA via a messaging app.

The MFWA salutes the move by the SLAJ to get the matter resolved and consider as progressive the apology rendered by the Clerk of Parliament over the incident. We also welcome the decision to investigate the incident and urge SLAJ and the authorities to pursue matter to its logical conclusion.

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Authorities in Sierra Leone should drop their investigation into journalist Sorie Saio Sesay, return his mobile phone, and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalist said Tuesday.

On May 26, police officers in the northwestern town of Kamakwie arrested Sesay, a reporter with the privately owned Okentuhun Radio FM broadcaster’s “Latest Happening” news program, seized his phone, and detained him, according to news reports and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview.

Authorities transferred Sesay to the police headquarters in Freetown, the capital, and released him on bail on May 31, he said, adding that the case stemmed from a message he forwarded to the “Latest Happening” WhatsApp group, which he runs and where he shares information about stories he covers on-air.

As of June 13, police were continuing their investigation but had not cited any specific laws he was alleged to have violated, and had not returned his phone, he said. National police spokesperson Brima Kamara told CPJ via text message that investigations were ongoing and authorities had not decided whether to charge him with a crime.

“Sierra Leone authorities must immediately drop their investigation into journalist Sorie Saio Sesay and swiftly return his mobile phone,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, in Durban. “Rather than seeking to gag the press with cybercrime and incitement allegations, police in Sierra Leone should focus on ensuring the safety of journalists in the country.”

On May 26, Sesay forwarded a user’s comment to the “Latest Happening” group from a WhatsApp group affiliated with the news website Calabash Newspaper about a conflict between motorcycle taxi drivers and police over the alleged police killing of a driver, he said. Sesay told CPJ that he later learned that the comment contained inaccuracies.

Later that day, while Sesay was on assignment for the state-owned Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, where he also contributes reporting, the Kamakwie police called and summoned him without giving a reason, he said.

Sesay left that assignment and went to the police station, where officers seized his phone and took him to another station in the city of Makeni, where they held him overnight and interrogated him at 3 a.m. about the comment he forwarded, which they said constituted incitement, Sesay said.

Sesay said the officers then transferred him to Freetown, where he was held for four more days and told that police were preparing to charge him with cybercrime.

Sasay told CPJ that he was released following interventions by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, his family, and friends. From May 31 to June 6, authorities said he was required to remain in Freetown and return to the police headquarters each day for questioning by the cybercrime unit while his case was pending. Sesay said the cost of living in Freetown and paying for transportation to the police station was a strain on his finances.

On June 6, police allowed him to return to Kamakwie, he said.

He also said he developed malaria after he was bitten by mosquitoes during his detention and had to take medication.

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Sierra Leone authorities should swiftly identify and hold to account those responsible for the recent attack on journalist Alusine Antha, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

On February 17, in the western city of Waterloo, a group of about 30 people attacked Antha while he covered a meeting over a land dispute, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview, and a statement by the Media Reform Coordinating Group, a local press association.

Antha, a presenter and producer with the privately owned broadcaster Eagle Africa FM, planned to cover a meeting over a dispute between members of the local Matale community and former Assistant Inspector-General of Police Christopher John, he said. However, when he arrived, he found a large number of young people insulting police officers at the scene and, when officers asked them to step back, those demonstrators threw stones at the officers and destroyed John’s car, Antha said.

The police officers and John fled the area, and when Antha attempted to leave on his motorcycle, a group of people accused him of being part of John’s team, threw stones at him, hit him with sticks, and stole his motorbike, two phones, and a recorder, the journalist said. He told CPJ he was attacked for about 30 minutes in total.

“Authorities in Sierra Leone must ensure a swift and thorough investigation into the attack on journalist Alusine Antha and hold those responsible to account,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, in New York. “Journalists should feel safe to cover the news, and ensuring justice for attacks against the press is important for preventing their repetition.”

Antha has covered that land dispute on his weekly radio show since last year, he told CPJ.

He said he sustained swelling on his head and scratches on various parts of his body, and was treated for injuries to his hand and back. Antha said that Matale community members returned his motorbike eight days after the attack, but still had not returned his phones or recorder.

Police filed assault charges against seven people for attacking Antha, the journalist told CPJ. He said none of the suspects attended a court hearing on February 21, and another had been scheduled for March 14.

CPJ’s calls and text messages to Sierra Leone police spokesperson Brima Kamara went unanswered.

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Media stakeholders in Sierra Leone have climaxed a roundtable discussion with all the security agencies in the country with the signing of an MOU to enhance cooperation and mutual understanding in order to promote the safety of journalists.

The MOU was signed on November 3, 2021, after a frank and friendly dialogue between representatives from the media and the security services made up of the Police, the Military, the Fire Force, the Sierra Leone Correctional Services, and the Office of National security. The event took place at the Office of National Security (ONS) headquarters on Tower Hill in Freetown.

The initiative formed part of activities by the media in Sierra Leone to mark the International Day to End impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, which was celebrated globally on November 2.

At the end of a fruitful dialogue, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Michael Ambrose Sovula, said the meeting is another piece of history for press freedom in Sierra Leone.

“I consider today to be like the day when his Excellency the President repealed the Libel law, sparking jubilation across the country, especially in the media industry. We have come together to sign a memorandum of understanding to cap the repeal of libel from our laws. This means we would be able to give journalists a conducive environment to operate and meet the needs of the people of this country. So it is a laudable event,’’ the IGP said.

Acting National Security Coordinator, Abdulai Caulker, said that it is the responsibility of the security sector to ensure the preservation of peace, law and order in society, adding that the media has a corresponding responsibility.

“Both the media and the security sector play a significant role to consolidate the hard-won democratic credentials of this country. The security sector will always avail itself to ensure that the media has access to information as long as it is not dangerous to peace and doesn’t impinge on national security. As we are approaching the electioneering process, I especially entreat the media not to resort to misinformation, disinformation, that will heighten the insecurity in the country,’’ he said.

He pledged on behalf of his colleagues in the security sector that they would provide a safe and conducive environment for journalists to ply their trade.

For his part, the president of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, said that journalists must have a safe space to operate despite the dangers that come with the terrain they are working in, adding that the security agents are crucial in creating the ideal environment.

“The security sector must guarantee safety and ensure the protection of journalists during political and other events especially before, during and after elections. That’s why today we are holding this round table dialogue with the security sector to start working together to address these challenges. Engagements like these are essential for the responsible maintenance of the law and order on one hand and for ensuring the safety and security of journalists and media workers at all times,’’ he said.

Reacting from Accra to this development, Muheeb Saeed, Senior Programme Officer at Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) said, “The press freedom environment in Sierra Leone has improved significantly in recent times. The roundtable discussion among stakeholders involved in the safety of journalists and the subsequent signing of an MOU to guide and improve relations between the media and the security service is a laudable initiative that should further enhance the safety and security of journalists in that country.”

Muheeb Saeed added, “This dialogue is highly welcome because relations between the security agencies and the media has been traditionally frosty while law enforcement agents are about the most repressive perpetrators of violations against journalists across West Africa.”

Press freedom in Sierra Leone received a massive boost on October 28, 2020, when President Julius Maada Bio assented a new law to repeal Criminal Libel, after the Parliament of Sierra Leone unanimously approved the bill on July 23, 2020.

On July 5, 2021, the MFWA and its partner organisation in Sierra Leone, the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), launched a report on “The State of Media Freedom in Sierra Leone” jointly produced by our two organisations. Focused on the three years of President Maada Bio’s administration, the report said that press freedom has seen a marked improvement during the period under review.

As observed during the launch by Dr Francis Sowa, Chairman of MRCG, “while the 29 violations, which translates into about nine violations a year is regrettable, it is a marked improvement on previous records and an indication that the fight against press freedom violations can be won.”

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Namibia and Sierra Leone are among the countries that will undergo their Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the upcoming 38th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council slated to take place in May 2021. The two countries have distinct human rights and governance track records, accompanied by increasing digitalisation, making it important that the UPR recommendations for both states reflect the need for the protection of fundamental freedoms both online and offline.

Despite being coastal countries with direct connection to submarine cables, internet penetration rates remain low – 36.8% in Namibia and 13.2 % in Sierra Leone. Namibia continues to suffer from high income inequality which exacerbates internet affordability and service delivery. These factors contribute to its poor ranking at 84 out of the 100 countries assessed as part of  the 2020 Inclusive Internet Index on internet availability, affordability, relevance of content and readiness. For its part, Sierra Leone ranks at 57 out of 61 countries assessed by the Alliance for Affordable Internet on internet affordability. Prevailing challenges include poor service delivery and reported misappropriation of funds.

See insights on digital access by our Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF) Grantee, Global Voices

Out of the 218 recommendations made to Namibia by 88 countries in the second cycle of the UPR in 2016, only one reference was made to freedom of expression and the press. Understandably, it is the highest ranked African country  on the global press freedom index – 23rd in 2019 and 2020 out of 180 countries assessed. Namibian Courts have also been instrumental in upholding freedom of expression and other related rights as reflected in a judgment in which an appeal by the Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS) that sought to stop the publication of an article about corruption was dismissed. Similarly, the Supreme Court in 2018 ruled that the collection of licensed operators’ turnover by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia was unconstitutional since the Universal Service Fund which is provided for by Section 57 of the Communications Act, 2009 (Act No. 8 of 2009) was not operational yet.

Nonetheless, there are freedom of expression challenges in Namibia including government threats to media independence, harsh criticisms of the media, calls to gag social media under the guise of fighting misinformation and cybercrime, and preferential treatment accorded to state-owned media. Further, there are reported cases of harassment, assault and threats against media practitioners such as the assault of two journalists by the President’s Security Unit during the opening of the Covid-19 isolation facility. During the elections in 2019, there were blatant attacks on media practitioners over alleged influence of elections, while the government warned citizens against bullying and irresponsible use of social media platforms, which purportedly endangers lives. The publication of false or misleading statements on Covid-19 was outlawed in April 2020 with a potential penalty of a fine of up to 2,000 Namibian Dollars (USD 134) or imprisonment of up to six months. Since the outlaw, various incidents of arrests and detention of citizens have been reported.

On access to information, Namibia’s proposed access to information bill contains wide ranging exemptions that could negatively impact on the exercise of digital rights and freedoms if passed into law. Some of the notable exemptions include information and records pertaining to national security, proceedings of the cabinet, confidentiality of judicial functions, and information in possession of some public bodies.

In comparison, at the second UPR cycle, Sierra Leone received 213 recommendations from 88 countries, of which  seven recommendations were on freedom of expression. Ranked at 85 on RSF’s global press freedom index, the country continues to grapple with press freedom as witnessed in the arrests and arbitrary detention of individuals over online expression on allegations of incitement and subversion, false news and defamation. Moreover, the recent Independent Media Commission (IMC) Act 2020 creates room for censorship of media by empowering the Independent Media Commission to shut down media houses on ambiguous grounds of “public interest”. In July 2019, the IMC threatened to suspend 12 media houses for non-payment of fines.

Progressive developments in Sierra Leone have included the cabinet move to decriminalise defamation and libel by repealing Part V of the Public Order Act. However, there have been instances where freedom of expression online has been undermined. In March 2018, the internet was shut down on the general election day consequently denying party affiliates an opportunity to receive results from the National Electoral Commission, and citizens and the media the opportunity to engage freely at this critical time. This block to digital access to information was contrary to Sierra Leone’s Access to Information law, 2013 which provides for disclosure of information held by public authorities or by persons providing public services. Notwithstanding the 2013 law’s promotion of openness, there are wide ranging exemptions  under Part II. These include, among others, information related  to national security and defense, international relations, investigations and law enforcement, economic and commercial interests related information.

On data protection, both countries are yet to enact legislation, which has left citizens’ right to privacy and personal data at risk of abuse and misuse. Amidst reports of state sponsored surveillance and online violence against women, the draft bill in Namibia has been undergoing consultations since early 2020. Sierra Leone’s Cybersecurity Bill engenders aspects of privacy and data protection. However, it is yet to be passed by parliament.

As part of the upcoming UPR for both countries, it is important to fasttrack the protection of fundamental human rights and basic freedoms both online and offline against the national, regional, and international human rights obligations. Accordingly, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and Small Media, together with civil society organisations made joint stakeholder submissions on digital rights in the two countries. The Sierra Leone submission was made in partnership with Campaign for Human Rights and Development International, Sierra Leone Reporters Union, Citizens Advocacy Network and the The Institute for Governance Reform while that for Namibia was in partnership with the Internet Society (ISOC) Namibia chapter.

The submissions among others recommend for the two countries to:

• Repeal and or amend laws to remove erroneous restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information. Notably, for Namibia – Article 21(2) of the Constitution, the Protection of Information Act, 1982, and Section 4 of Central Intelligence Services Act, 1997; and for Sierra Leone – Independent Media Commission Act, 2020
• Uphold privacy of the individual by among others, repealing section 9 of the Communications Act (Namibia), and enacting Cybercrime, Data Protection and Privacy legislation through participatory and consultative processes (both countries)
• Operationalise the Universal Service Funds and continue efforts to promote equitable access and inclusion for minority, marginalised and underserved communities
• Abstain from arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists, media workers and critics over the exercise of their right to freedom of expression online or offline.
• Comply with the established regional and international human rights standards and obligations on freedom of expression and access to information online and offline.

Read the full submissions, Namibia and Sierra Leone.

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Sierra Leone authorities should immediately drop all charges against journalist Mahmud Tim Kargbo and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On December 4, a magistrate court in the capital, Freetown, charged Kargbo with sharing “insulting” and “scurrilous” information via Facebook and WhatsApp about the country’s assistant inspector-general of police, which allegedly caused the official’s “annoyance,” according to Kargbo, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview, and a copy of the charge sheet, which CPJ reviewed. Authorities held Kargbo in the Pademba Road Prison for about two hours after he was arraigned on those charges and then released him on bail, he said.

Kargbo works as a freelance journalist, and publishes reporting about local political issues and the police on his personal Facebook account, and also shares that reporting on WhatsApp, he told CPJ.

If convicted under Section 3 of Sierra Leone’s Public Order Act, which criminalizes obscenity, threats, and other actions proven to have the “intent to insult or annoy,” Kargbo could face up to three months in prison and a fine of 20 Leones (US$0.002).

“Authorities in Sierra Leone should immediately drop all charges filed in the case of journalist Mahmud Tim Kargbo, and ensure he can work free from judicial harassment,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. “Sierra Leone’s criminal laws, including the recently amended Public Order Act, clearly need further revision to ensure that journalists do not face jail time for their work.”

The charges stem from a post on Kargbo’s Facebook page about alleged fraud and abuse of power by Patrick A. T. Johnson, the country’s assistant police inspector-general, according to Kargbo, news reports, and the charge sheet.

Kargbo received a summons relating to the case on November 30; he was arraigned in court when he responded to that summons on December 4, according to the journalist, those reports, and a copy of the summons, which CPJ reviewed.

Kargbo told CPJ that he was granted bail on December 4 after two people vouched on his behalf and showed that they were residents of Freetown, had worked with established government institutions, and each possessed at least 20 million Leones ($1,978.30).

Kargbo said he appeared in court again on December 9 and 14, and that the next hearing in his case was expected in early 2021.

CPJ called Johnson for comment, but he did not answer.

Deputy Attorney General Umaru Koroma told CPJ by messaging app that his office was aware of Kargbo’s case and would address it. He added that citizens in Sierra Leone were allowed to bring criminal cases against fellow citizens for alleged crimes, and said that this case “has nothing to do with” the repeal of Part 5 of the Public Order Act, which criminalized publications deemed libelous or seditious.

In October, Sierra Leone revised its Public Order Act to remove Part 5, as CPJ documented at the time.

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