The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 7 September 2026 a news release concerning the detention of another Somaliland journalist.
Another Somaliland journalist has been detained and is being held under dubious circumstances. After ten days, authorities have not yet formally presented charges in court.
Graphika, an intelligence platform based on digital relationships, coordination, and the movement of information across networks, published on 25 August 2026 an analysis titled "Umbrae Ex Machina: Mapping Russian Ghostwriting Operations Across African News Outlets."
Russia has been planting ghost reporters and fake experts in African media to advance its strategic interests on the continent. This report provides an overview of the English-and French-speaking network of Russian ghost reporters in Africa. It identified 44 ghost writers and fake experts who were active between 2021 and 2026. Their media content was duplicated or quoted on 138 websites and republished on at least 113 Facebook accounts.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 13 August 2026 a press release titled "In Ethiopia, 5 Journalists Pressured to Apologize for Terrorism to Win Release."
Five Ethiopian journalists have been detained on terrorism charges for three years awaiting trial. They have refused to write letters of apology and admit guilt in exchange for their freedom.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 30 July 2026 a press release titled "CPJ Calls for Release of Ailing Sudanese Journalists Held by RSF, Protection of Darfur 24 Reporters."
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces kidnapped three Nyala radio station journalists in February and threatened Darfur 24 reporters. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for the release of the journalists and condemnation of the threats against Darfur 24 reporters.
The Foreign Service Journal published in its July/August 2026 edition an article titled "When America Went Silent: The Strategic Costs of Dismantling VOA" by Elez Biberaji, 43-year veteran of VOA.
The effort by the Trump administration to shut down the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which operates the Voice of America and sister media outlets, has eroded America's capacity to shape global understanding and ceded influence to competitors who weaponize information.
The Washingtonian published on 2 July 2026 an article titled "Reviving Voice of America Will be Difficult, Insiders Say" by Ike Allen.
As a result of a court decision and some funding by Congress, VOA is trying to return to service. But only about 200 of its former 2,000 employees are at work and its effort is limited to a few languages.
The Trump administration is appealing the court order to restart VOA operations, and the matter is in limbo. The situation at the VOA headquarters in downtown Washington has deteriorated so much that some fired staff believe it will not be possible to revive the organization, at least not during the Trump administration.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 12 June 2026 a press release titled "Ethiopia Expels French Journalist Augustine Passilly after Reporting Trip to Tigray."
Following a reporting trip to Ethiopia's Tigray Region, Ethiopian authorities expelled Augustine Passilly, La Croix newspaper's Ethiopia correspondent since September 2023.
The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 29 May 2026 an article titled "'Under the Shadow of Fear': Censorship Is Ethiopia's Real Election Story, Journalists Say."
Intimidation of the press is becoming the norm in the runup to Ethiopia's national elections. Numerous reporters have experienced a variety of challenges as they attempt to cover the elections.
The Eastleigh Voice published on 17April 2026 an article titled "'Addis Standard' Editor Million Beyene Missing after Alleged Abduction in Ethiopian Capital" by Mwangi Maina.
Addis Standard managing editor Million Beyene remains missing after being abducted in Addis Ababa on 15 April, allegedly by security personnel. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for his release and the holding accountable of those who seized him.
The Poynter Institute, a global non-profit focused on ethical journalism, published on 20 March 2026 an in-depth report titled "A Year After Trump Administration Cuts, Voice of America and Its Sister Outlets Are Mostly Shadows of Their Former Selves" by Angela Fu.
After being largely shut down for more than a year on orders from the Trump administration, a federal judge has allowed the Voice of America (VOA) and its sister organizations under the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to resume operations. The other outlets are the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network.
VOA had approximately 800 employees and 600 contractors in March 2025 broadcasting in 49 languages. Today it has about 130 total staff reporting in just 6 languages. The other employees, but not contractors, were placed on paid leave. Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network were able to continue limited broadcasting because, unlike VOA and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, they are independent organizations. But they lost funding and experienced major cuts.
The future of all of the broadcasting outlets remains uncertain. The biggest challenge will be to regain the trust of the audience that the VOA and other outlets had before the Trump administration tried to dismantle them.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 6 March 2026 a press release titled "Somaliland Journalist Ahmed-Zaki Ibrahim Mohamud Held Without Charge Since February."
The founder of Warrame Media has been held without charges since 22 February by Somaliland authorities, who have cracked down on press freedom over the past year.
The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 24 February 2026 a news release titled "Ethiopia Revokes Addis Standard's License Amid Escalating Crackdown on Independent Media."
The Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) revoked the Addis Standard's online media registration certificate effective 24 February. The EMA accused the Addis Standard of violating Ethiopian laws and endangering the national interests of the country. The action is part of a crackdown on independent media in Ethiopia.
The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 16 February 2026 a news release titled "Ethiopia Revokes Journalists' Accreditation Following Investigative Report."
The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Ethiopian authorities to restore the accreditation of 3 Reuters journalists who were banned from reporting following an in-depth report that Ethiopia was secretly training forces to fight on behalf of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan.
Geeska posted on 14 February 2026 an article titled "Getachew: Ethiopia Won't Be a 'Passive Bystander' after Reuters Report."
The Ethiopian government declined to renew the accreditation of three Addis Ababa-based journalists working for Reuters following an in-depth Reuters report about a training camp near the Sudan border for the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. See the story posted below on 10 February. Ethiopian authorities did not publicly cite the reasons for the decision.
The Independent published on 30 January 2026 an article titled "How UK Aid Cuts Help China Win the Battle for Hearts and Minds in Africa" by Dani Madrid-Morales, University of Sheffield.
The British and American retreat from Africa is being cleverly exploited by China to win the hearts and minds of Africans. Much of China's success is due to its all-out effort to dominate the media domain in Africa as Western outlets pull back.
The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 10 December 2025 a press release titled "Ethiopian TikTok Journalist Eyob Shimelis Detained after Corruption Reporting."
Ethiopian authorities arrested on December 1 the founder and reporter of TikTok-based Sidama News, which reports on corruption in Ethiopia's southern Sidama state.
The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 21 November 2025 a press release titled "South Sudan Authorities Suspend Hot in Juba News Outlet."
The South Sudan Media Authority has suspended the "Hot in Juba" online news outlet for reasons that are not clear.
Kenya's The Star published on 17 November 2025 an article titled "China-Africa Partnership Conference Highlights Cooperation toward Shared Global Governance."
South Africa hosted on 13-14 November the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Conference. China's Xinhua News Agency, the African Union, and South Africa's Independent Media organized the event attended by more than 200 representatives from 160 media outlets, think tanks, and government organizations. The primary theme was shaping global governance.
Comment: The Forum is another example of China's focus on soft power in Africa and especially support for African media and think tanks. The Forum provides China an opportunity to promote its governance model in Africa and build a "China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era."
China also promoted its four global initiatives dealing with development, security, civilization, and governance. China International Television Corporation and the state policy bank China Africa Development Fund have a 20 percent stake in South Africa's Independent Media, one of the sponsors of the Forum.
The Committee to Protect Journalists published on 6 November 2025 a news release titled "As Sudan's El Fasher Falls, the World Loses Sight of Its Journalists."
Since the Rapid Support Forces captured El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, from the Sudan Armed Forces, 13 journalists and media workers have gone missing.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 21 October 2025 an article titled "'Stop Filming, Or I Will Shoot': Ethiopian Journalists Targeted in Tigray Turmoil."
Ethiopia's Tigray Region remains a dangerous place for journalists even though the civil war is over. In addition, professional journalistic practices are missing as local journalists tend to side with one of the political factions in Tigray and contribute to polarization of the region.
