As countries across Africa face escalating climate and environmental challenges brought on by extreme weather events, water scarcity, and the adverse effects of natural resource extraction, journalists play an increasingly vital role in raising public awareness of these issues.
Natural disasters often add to the complexity of conflict areas, fuelling instability and volatile security contexts. The rapid growth of聽聽in extractive industries in Africa has also exacerbated聽聽in Africa as multinational companies, governments, and paramilitary groups compete for control over critical resources, often at the expense of Africa鈥檚 most vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Robust reporting on these topics contributes to an informed public, saving lives and reducing violence. Independent media can also hold governments and businesses accountable for causing harm to the environment, driving meaningful action and policy responses.
At the same time, journalists covering climate and environmental issues face a wide range of barriers to their work, as actors with vested interests seek to silence critical reporting. IPI adopts an established methodology to monitor threats and attacks against journalists, relying on independent research and investigations, and leveraging our multistakeholder networks, including journalists and civil society, for information. Strict verification procedures anchor our monitoring process to protect the integrity of the data. Between March and September 2025, IPI documented a total of 19 incidents of threats and attacks across nine countries, impacting 20 journalists. The DRC and Somalia recorded the highest number of violations.
In the most concerning case from this reporting period, one journalist was tortured and killed in the DRC after investigating suspected collaboration in illegal mining between rebel groups and government authorities.
Key trends
- Most violations were linked to reporting on natural resource exploitation, particularly the mining industry and land disputes.
- State actors, ranging from local police to military personnel to judicial bodies, were the primary perpetrators of violations, including threats, arrests, and in some cases court orders following complaints from industry actors.
- Most violations originating from government actors involved either the use of the law to censor critical reporting or physical arrests of journalists and/or the confiscation of reporting equipment.
- Several violations documented involved foreign companies, particularly Chinese-owned companies.
- Several violations occurred while journalists were on the ground actively investigating suspected environmental crimes or documenting industry practices
Developments by country
顿搁颁听
Attacks on journalists covering the DRC鈥檚 shadowy mining industry have been on the rise as provincial authorities and state security forces play an active role in cracking down on journalists exposing聽聽industry practices,聽. The situation has been exacerbated by the聽, where armed groups have used threats, torture and brutal force to silence journalists.
- On August 5, journalist Fiston Wilondja Mazambi was聽聽by members of the M23/AFC rebel group in South Kivu province. According to an IPI source, he was killed for investigating allegations of collaboration in illegal gold mining between rebel groups and government authorities in Kinshassa.
- In July and September, freelance journalist Pacifique Muliri was the target of聽聽while investigating the Lomera mine in South Kivu province. He told IPI that he received death threats by telephone and through messages. On July 6, his home was raided and his reporting equipment was stolen by rebel groups, and he went into hiding.
- On May 25, M23/AFC members in Goma arbitrarily聽聽journalist Jeremie Wakahasha Bahati, accusing him of publishing a post on social media about the assassination of a public transport driver by rebels. He was released after several days of detention.
On April 8, militiamen from the armed group Zaire聽聽of journalist Flori Drajiro while he was taking photos at the Mabanga mining center in eastern DRC. The militiamen beat the journalist, accusing him of photographing within their area of influence without authorisation. He escaped with physical injuries.
厂辞尘补濒颈补听
Ongoing conflict and prolonged droughts and floods have created an聽聽in Somalia, displacing many of the country鈥檚聽. The volatile security situation has served as the pretext for an abusive crackdown on journalists seeking to report on the environmental crisis, with rampant cases of arbitrary arrests, detentions, and repression of independent journalists.
- On August 3, Hamar Jajab Police聽聽three journalists: Osman Abdullahi Mohamed and Hussein Isse Mohamed of SMS Somali TV, and freelance journalist Mahad Mohamed Abdirahman. The journalists had been covering forced evictions of families from public land that had allegedly been sold to wealthy businessmen in Mogadishu. They were later released without charges.
- On June 6, Puntland State Police聽聽journalists Mohamed Abdul Aziz of Radio Galkayo and Ahmed Abdiqani Yusuf, a freelance cameraman. The journalists had been reporting on a series of local youth protests demanding better sanitation and a functioning drainage system, as rains had blocked roads. The journalists were released the next day without charges.
On September 14, a high-ranking officer of the state intelligence service聽 Dalbile TV journalist Anisa Ahmed and her cameraman, threatening her with disappearance. Anisa had been reporting on the forced eviction of vulnerable families occupying government land in Mogadishu鈥檚 Daynile neighbourhood. After Ahmed posted an audio clip of the threats on social media, several intelligence officers ordered her to delete it and issue a public apology, threatening arrest if she did not comply.
Ghana
Illegal gold mining on the part of local and foreign companies has聽聽Ghana鈥檚 river bodies, forests, and farm lands, while the environment for press freedom in Ghana remains tenuous as state authorities have failed to hold perpetrators of attacks against journalists accountable, despite democratic progress.
- On August 1, environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor received a series of anonymous online threats to his life. Donkor told IPI the threats followed his publications, which those who sent the messages claimed caused them to lose investments.
Burundi
Burundi faces a range of聽, including deforestation, land degradation and water pollution, while press freedom is rapidly deteriorating under an atmosphere of聽. Burundi鈥檚 independent media have struggled to survive amid arbitrary arrests and prosecutions.
On April 3, journalist Norbert Rucabihari was聽 by police while taking photos on a bridge in Bujumbura for a story on waste dumping in Lake Tanganyika. Following the incident, the Imbonerakure 鈥� a political youth movement affiliated to Burundi鈥檚 ruling party 鈥� threatened to 鈥渃orrect鈥� the journalist.
Mauritania
Climate and environmental issues are a聽growing problem聽in Mauritania, as the country faces rising sea levels, the effects of聽, prolonged droughts, and extreme heat. Meanwhile, independent journalism and critical reporting remain challenging, despite legal reforms in the past years that have improved the overall context for press freedom in Mauritania.
- On July 22, environmental activist Ali Ould Bakkar was聽聽in Nouadhibou by state security forces. Authorities accused Bakkar of publishing false information about illegal fishing activities carried out by Turkish foreign vessels in a restricted maritime area, claiming his reporting harmed Mauritania鈥檚 foreign relations. Bakkar was unconditionally released after two months of detention.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone鈥檚 gold mining sector continues to be plagued by illegal mining 鈥� often involving influential public figures and聽聽鈥� which has had far-reaching environmental impacts. While generally able to work independently, journalists in the country occasionally face repression, intimidation, and harassment, including through abuse of the law.
- On August 20, New Age Newspaper journalist Thomas Dixon was聽聽following a complaint lodged against him by the Chinese-owned Leone Rock Metal Group, claiming the journalist had engaged in 鈥渃yber-stalking and cyberbullying.鈥� The incident occurred after Dixon published a report about improper labor practices at the company.
Somaliland
Somaliland, an unrecognized state in the Horn of Africa, faces similar climate and environmental challenges as Somalia itself, including聽. Meanwhile, press freedom is limited as authorities show intolerance for critical reporting on issues sensitive to the government.
- On September 27, Somaliland police in Gabiley聽聽journalist Mohamed Wadiin after he reported on the arrest of clan elders by Somaliland authorities following their criticism of the government鈥檚 decision to seize land. Sources tell IPI that Wadiin remains detained without an arrest warrant, despite the Somaliland constitution prohibiting arrests without due process.
Uganda
聽in Uganda, including prolonged drought and rainfall, have resulted in crop losses and disrupted farming seasons. At the same time, press freedom is under聽聽as journalists critical of the government regularly face arbitrary arrest and detention, while state security forces frequently target journalists with disproportionate violence.
- On August 19, journalist Christopher Semalemu Ssemakula of the online news outlet Bbeg Media was violently聽聽by a mob while covering a land dispute in Kampala. The journalist鈥檚 iPhone, camera, and equipment were stolen during the attack. The local press association has called on authorities to investigate the assault and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Zambia
厂别惫别谤别听聽have upended Zambia鈥檚 agricultural industry, driving a humanitarian crisis, while journalists continue to face persistent challenges, often resorting to self-censorship out of fear of reprisals.
- On May 22, a court in Lusaka聽聽of a聽聽produced by online newspaper News Digger. The documentary, titled 鈥淐hinese Investment in Zambia: The Good, The Bad and The Dangerous,鈥� exposed how Chinese investments have been linked to environmental damage, including water pollution and flooding. The court鈥檚 action was in response to a defamation lawsuit brought against the media outlet by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Zambia. In July, the court聽聽the earlier decision, allowing the documentary to be aired.