Yemisi Izuora
The Seventh General Meeting of the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX), a network of African freedom of expression and media development organisations which are members of the global press freedom advocacy network, IFEX, was held in Berlin, Germany, where issues around impunity against the media was discussed and totally rejected.
The meeting was held ahead of the biennial IFEX Strategy Conference and General Meeting and was presided over by Mr Edetaen Ojo, Chairperson of AFEX’s Steering Committee, who is also the Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA). The meeting was attended by representatives of eleven of AFEX’s 12 member organisations from West, East, Central and Southern Africa.
AFEX members present at the meeting reviewed the activities implemented by the network from November 2018 to April 2019.
The meeting also discussed challenges and developments around the freedom of expression and media freedom situations in Africa as well as lessons learnt during the past year and also outlined strategies for addressing or responding to the existing and emerging threats to freedom of expression and media freedom on the continent. The forum provided an opportunity for members to share experiences about the safety of journalists’ situation in different countries and regions in Africa and how to confront widespread impunity for crimes against journalists in the respective countries or regions.
Members of AFEX resolved to increase awareness about the need for African governments to adopt or put in place monitoring and reporting mechanisms at the national and regional levels aimed at promoting the safety of journalists’ situation on the continent and the overall improvement of the freedom of expression situation in Africa.