Authorities across East and Southern Africa have intensified crackdowns on independent media over the past year, according to Amnesty International. Journalists across the region have faced increasing harassment, arbitrary arrests, detention, and intimidation, alongside internet shutdowns and restrictive cybersecurity laws. These measures have been particularly evident in countries holding elections in 2025 and early 2026, where governments have used legal systems and vague regulations to suppress reporting, further straining media freedom amid declining industry revenues.
In Ethiopia, authorities escalated actions against journalists, including revoking licenses of independent outlets and detaining media professionals, with cases of abductions linked to journalistic work. Similar restrictions were seen in Tanzania, where online monitoring, platform bans, and internet shutdowns during elections limited press coverage. In Uganda, journalists covering elections faced attacks and bans, while restrictive laws created a hostile environment for reporting on sensitive issues.
In Zimbabwe, journalists have faced detention, exile, and legal charges related to their reporting, while in conflict-affected regions such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, armed groups have detained, tortured, and threatened journalists, forcing many to flee. In Mozambique, media outlets critical of the government were suspended, and journalists reporting on conflict-related destruction were arrested and intimidated.
Further restrictions were reported in Somalia and South Sudan, where journalists faced threats, arrests, and new laws that could criminalize online expression. In Sudan, ongoing conflict has exposed journalists to violence from multiple sides, including arrests, abductions, and killings.
Across the region, a prevailing culture of impunity has meant that perpetrators of attacks against journalists are rarely held accountable, leaving victims without justice. Amnesty International has called on governments to release detained journalists, drop charges related to their work, and repeal laws that restrict media freedom, warning that continued repression undermines access to information and weakens public accountability.
