Behind Enemy Lines: The Wrongful Detention of Journalists in Africa

2016 saw an increase in the number of journalists travelling to the West African country and a corresponding increase in detention rates, with two journalists detained in November alone. A further crackdown on independent media and the detention of more journalists marked the first weeks of 2017 amid an escalating political crisis in the country following the 1 December disputed presidential elections. Despite being defeated in the December 2016 presidential elections, President Yahya Jammeh, who lost to opposition candidate Adama Barrow, had refused to step down. In his efforts to hold on to power, Jammeh sought support among the country’s military leadership and shut down two independent radio stations to control reports of dissent. Now, with President Barrow taking the reins after Jammeh stepped down at the threat of regional military intervention, many are hopeful 2017 will usher in a more open climate for foreign journalists, although the political transition is likely to introduce new challenges.

Many were optimistic that 2016 would usher in stability in the war-torn country, following the brokering of the August 2015 peace agreement between incumbent President Salva Kiir and rebel leader, former Vice President Riek Machar. However, the outbreak of violence in the capital, Juba, in July 2016 served to unravel the peace process, resulting in a resurgence in conflict. This has precipitated an increased crackdown on foreign journalists and aid workers. In December 2016, for example, Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist, Justin Lynch, was detained several hours before he was deported without reason; Lynch was among the few remaining foreign journalists reporting from the country. Following this, two heads of the Norwegian Refugee Council were also detained and deported, significantly impacting the NGO’s logistical support in the country. Earlier, rebel forces had also detained 72 Kenyan aid workers as part of a diplomatic spat with Kenyan authorities over the deportation of rebel leader, James Gatdek Dak. It is increasingly apparent that both foreign journalists and aid workers have become pawns in the worsening politicking in South Sudan, and these arrests and deportations have been seen as part of a potential campaign to rid the country of independent witnesses to an impending escalation in fighting.

Although a robust response to public dissidence is not new in Ethiopia, the 8 October 2016 proclamation of a six-month, countrywide State of Emergency (SOE) has provided opportunity for a greater crackdown on those critical of the government. The SOE was implemented following several months of civil unrest in the Oromia and Amhara regions, culminating in violent unrest at the 2017 Irrechaa festival in Bishoftu, Oromia in which 55 people were killed and which prompted further protests in the country. Since the SOE started, at least 22,000 suspects have been detained by Ethiopian security forces. Under the directive of the SOE, those who do not comply with its measures can be arrested without court order and detained until the end of the SOE, currently slated for 8 April 2017. Detention conditions are reportedly dismal, with some detainees claiming to have been tortured while imprisoned. Foreign and local journalists have proven to be prominent targets in this clampdown. Under the SOE, several local journalists have already been arrested, including members of the award-winning ‘Zone-9 Bloggers’ collective. Ethiopia’s freedom of press has been historically poor, and in 2016, Ethiopia was ranked 142 out of 180 countries according to rankings by the RSF. In Sub-Saharan Africa, only neighbouring Eritrea surpasses Ethiopia in the number of journalists in detention, and this crackdown is likely to continue in 2017.