The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) will on Wednesday October 9, 2024, hold a public forum in Accra on the law and effective legal defence for journalists and human rights activists in West Africa.

The forum is being organised on the back of the shrinking civic space in the region, characterized by increasing repression against the media, civic expression and human rights defenders and activists.

In the last couple of years, even countries previously acclaimed as democratic models like Ghana, Senegal and Benin, have seen a sharp deterioration in democratic values. In many instances, security operatives arrest and detain journalists and social media activists arbitrarily on the orders or complaints of powerful groups and individuals in, or close to governments. Anti-corruption Journalists and news media organisations which are critical of abuse of power are often targeted, alongside activists who raise red flags against the activities of commercial and political interest groups which destroy the environment.

Even when their wrongdoing has been established beyond doubt, powerful individuals and organisations often resort to malicious lawsuits in a bid to silence critical journalists and activists exposing their crimes. A major concern with such suits is the fact that they pitch wealthy and influential people and organisations against financially challenged media organisations and journalists, who are often unable to afford top-notch legal services.

The Forum will therefore bring together human rights lawyers from across West Africa, government ministries, security agencies, media groups and associations, civil society organisations, academia and the media to brainstorm on effective legal protection for journalists and activists.

The forum will also be used to launch the West Africa Network of Activists and Media Defence Lawyers (WANAMDEL), a team of lawyers across the region committed to human rights defence. The Network will subsequently support journalists, news media organisations and activists with capacity building on legal issues and pro-bono legal services. The network will also provide guidance to the media in their respective countries on legal issues affecting their work.

The Keynote Speaker for the forum is the renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. It will be held at the Mensvic Grand Hotel, Accra, Ghana at 9.30am GMT.