Africa: Nine Out of Ten Crimes Against Journalists Go Unpunished - Unesco Report

What the report says

A new Unesco report says impunity remains the norm in crimes against journalists, with the agency warning that 86% of such cases go unpunished worldwide. The piece, distributed by AllAfrica from RFI, was published around the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, observed on 2 November and linked in memory of RFI reporters Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, who were killed in Mali in 2013.

The report says attacks on the press continue across Africa and other regions, and that local journalists make up most victims. It also notes that more than 1,600 journalists have been killed globally over the past two decades, with the number of deaths rising in recent years. Unesco described the Middle East as the deadliest region recently, while Ukraine, Somalia and Sudan also featured among the most dangerous places for media workers.

The article highlights two recent killings in Africa that have not led to arrests or convictions: Joe Nam in Uganda and Bashir Mohamed Abdullahi in Somalia. It also cites concern over harassment in Burkina Faso, where journalists face online campaigns and coordinated abuse, including from actors linked by rights groups to the ruling junta. Press-freedom advocates quoted in the report said such pressure is especially severe in the Sahel.

The story also revisits the still-open investigation into the 2013 murders of Dupont and Verlon, underscoring how unresolved cases continue to shape calls for accountability and transparency in attacks on journalists.