Featured stories about Sub-Saharan Africa
Stories about Sub-Saharan Africa
Writer suffers threats and intimidation in Mozambique after book publication
The author revealed that he was being threatened anonymously by people who thought that a book with such a title should not be released.
In Togo, a journalist honoured for his fight against corruption must from now on live in exile
In Togo, the journalist Ferdinand Ayité's determination and resilience net him an international prize, but Togolese journalists are still powerless in the face of exile.
Kenya draws inspiration from Estonia in its journey toward e-governance
Kenya is a thriving democracy, but its internet penetration rate stands at only 33 percent, posing a crucial question: Is the country prepared to embrace the wave of e-governance?
Zimbabwe’s uneven electoral field: Data protection laws used to deny digital voter roll inspection
In April this year, a number of eligible voters received accurately targeted campaign SMS messages from the ruling party, with details such as voters’ full names and where message recipients had registered to vote.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Kenya
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Kenya is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
How technology has entrenched the authoritarian electoral practice of controlling political choice in Kenya's democracy
Kenya is representative of a nation where elections do not equate to democracy, and technological advancements have only provided the government with leverage over its citizens’ political choice.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Speech
Advox research into freedom of speech is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Cameroon: Report the Anglophone conflict and perish
Journalists who are critical in their reports on the Anglophone conflict, both online and offline, are either jailed or forced to desert the conflict zones and journalism or die in the process.
Kenya and the fallacy of trading individual privacy for national security
When the right to privacy is fractured on a national scale by actions such as surveillance, a myriad of other human rights suffer in a sort of domino effect.
Cameroon: Freedom in chains
Article 113 of the Criminal Procedure Code punishes with imprisonment from three months to three years anyone who issues or spreads false news when such news is likely to harm the public authorities or national cohesion.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Cameroon
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Cameroon is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Civil society organisations fight for the right of association in Mozambique
Civil society organisations in Mozambique have set up a protest movement called "In defence of the right to Freedom of Association in Mozambique."
Zimbabwe’s information war on digital platforms threatens free expression
"Digital technology has played a huge role in spreading propaganda and disinformation because these offer a huge platform, which appeals to a large number of people."
Meta's Oversight Board grapples with Facebook and Instagram's opaque content guidelines
If Meta is to continue to be a safe space for human rights defenders, it will have to engage seriously and in good faith with the Oversight Board.
Tanzania’s government makes headway in country’s media reforms
Political observers deduce that the overtures Samia has made thus far are simply a political game plan. While they have strengthened the opposition, they have nonetheless garnered her supporters for the upcoming elections.
How Zimbabwe is building a Big Brother surveillance state
Citizens' belief that the infringement of human and digital rights does not concern them has created fertile ground for the emergence of pervasive surveillance in Zimbabwe.
New stringent legislation threatens data privacy and surveillance protection in Tanzania
A lack of data protection and privacy legislation leaves room for abuse in Tanzania.
Data privacy rights advance in Tanzania under new law, but obstacles remain
While the Data Protection Act offers in safeguarding the privacy of personal data, it raises serious concerns in key areas, such as security breaches and the independence of the Data Protection Commission.
Freedom of expression in Tanzania is on a downward spiral
In Tanzania, freedom of expression is a constitutional right of every citizen that has however been undermined by the continuous passing and enacting of a series of repressive regulations over the years.
Nigerian student arrested after calling First Lady ‘fat from corruption’ on Twitter
Last year, the Nigerian government suspended Twitter for seven months, lifting the embargo in January after Twitter agreed to the conditions made by the government, which further clamps down on the digital rights of Nigerian citizens.