Journalists working on environmental topics in sub-Saharan Africa are coming under attack, a new report found.
The International Press Institute, a nonprofit that aims to protect media freedom, recorded 26 incidents of attacks and threats in the five months to March. Those reporting critically on natural resource exploitation — especially illegal mining, deforestation, and oil management — were at particular risk, it said.
Journalists in DR Congo, Ghana, and Mozambique faced assault, abuse, and threats while reporting on illegal mining and logging operations, while in Chad and Namibia, reporters faced arrest and intimidation after scrutinizing the management of national oil resources. Two journalists arrested during this period remain in detention: One was arrested in Zimbabwe in February on “cyberbullying” charges after his outlet reported on suspected corruption in a multimillion-dollar waste-to-energy deal.