African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms

The year 2019 started with five African countries – Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabon, Sudan and Zimbabwe – facing internet disruptions, a very dangerous trend that reveals a rise in authoritarianism on the continent. This is the focus of Despots and Disruptions: Five Dimensions of Internet Shutdowns in Africa, a recently launched study by APC member Collaboration on Inte...

As access to the internet increases across the African continent, so does its potential to improve people’s lives, enable human rights, and strengthen democracy and transparent and accountable governance. For this potential to be achieved, the exercise of human rights on and through the internet needs to be respected, promoted and protected.  Unfortunately, there is an increasing trend i...

In regards to internet freedom, Africa got off to an awful start in 2019. Internet disruptions were registered in five countries (Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sudan and Zimbabwe) within the first three weeks of the year. The disruptions were related to elections, protests against government policies, and what seemed like a coup attempt. With several nations set to conduct election...

The state of personal data protection is a mirror of the state of internet freedom in a country. There has been an increase in digital rights violations in Africa, such as arrests and intimidation of social media users, a proliferation of laws and regulations that undermine internet access and affordability, network disruptions and the increasing criminalisation of online conduct. This was not ...

AfriSIG fellow Noha Ashraf Abdel Baky reflects on the importance of including youth and grassroots organizations in multistakeholder decision making after the School's collaborative governance workshop.

Dear AfriSIG Class of 2018, Three years ago, I caught a flight for the first time to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, excited and nervous to be joining the AfriSIG/gigX class of 2015. The Gender and Internet eXchange (gigX) was the inaugural meeting that invited those who worked on gender to chart the course of internet governance from a feminist perspective. I knew no other student in the prog...

What are the challenges associated with the growth of the internet, as we reach the "internet of everything"? What are the priorities, gaps and best ways in capacity development in the African region? The ITU Annual Regional Human Capacity Building Workshop on Strengthening Capacities in Internet Governance in Africa will take place in Abuja, 27-29 August 2018, to address pr...

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), acting through the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa (the Special Rapporteur) Commissioner Lawrence Mute, and the Country Rapporteur responsible for monitoring the human rights situation in Kenya and Tanzania Commissioner Solomon Dersso, wishes to expres...