BRUSSELS, 29 August. - (ANA) - 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. 

 

Journalists covering stories about land and water management and its impact on local communities also experienced harassment. These stories — frequently covering disruptions to lives and livelihoods stemming from mining or construction projects — underscore the often local nature of environmental stories and the crucial role that independent journalism plays in telling them and empowering communities.

 

Two journalists arrested during this period remain in detention: One, Gideon Madikatidze, was arrested in Zimbabwe in February on “cyberbullying” charges after his outlet reported on suspected corruption in a multimillion-dollar waste-to-energy deal between a private waste management company and the Zimbabwean authorities. 

 

State actors — especially police and security forces — remain a key source of threats to journalists covering environmental and climate topics.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/29 August 2026 - - -