(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX), a network of African freedom of expression and media development organizations has urged governments in Africa to respect digital rights of citizens in their respective countries.
AFEX also called on governments across the continent to work towards formulating and implementing policies that promote the exercise and enjoyment of human rights on the internet and particularly meaningful and affordable connectivity as well as bridging the gender digital divide.
The group equally harped on the importance of access to the internet at affordable costs for all, as a pivotal enabler of other rights, especially during the pandemic and its aftermath.
African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) Calls on African Governments to Ensure Safety of Journalists, Respect Digital Rights thenigerianvoice.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenigerianvoice.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
People displaced by the violence in Cabo Delgado gather for a community meeting in the Tara Tara district of Matuge, northern Mozambique on February 24, 2021 [AFP/Alfredo Zuniga]
On April 7, 2020, Ibrahimo Abu Mbaruco, a reporter for the Palma Community Radio in Mozambique’s northernmost province Cabo Delgado, left work for home at about 6pm and shortly after texted a colleague to say he was “surrounded by soldiers”. He has not been heard from since.
For years, Mbaruco has been covering the violence in Cabo Delgado, where armed groups have been terrorising civilians since 2017. The violence has left hundreds dead and forced more than 565,000 people to flee their homes and villages.