Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO

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The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, welcomes the successful conclusion of the elections of the President and Members of the Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament, held in Midrand, Republic of South Africa.

He extends warm congratulations to H.E. Fateh Boutbig on his election as President, as well as to the newly elected Members of the Bureau representing all regions of the continent.

The AUC Chairperson pays tribute to the outgoing President, H.E. Fortune Charumbira, for his dedicated service and for advancing the role of the Pan-African Parliament within the African Union’s governance architecture.

He notes that the orderly and transparent conduct of the elections reflects Member States’ commitment to the principles of democracy, rule of law, and inclusive representation, as enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union. It further underscores the Parliament’s growing role as a platform for the voice of the African people.

As the institution enters a new phase, the AUC Chairperson expresses full confidence in the incoming leadership and calls for the discharge of their responsibilities with integrity, unity of purpose, and commitment to Pan-African ideals. He reiterates the Commission’s support for ongoing institutional reforms to strengthen the effectiveness and legislative authority of the Parliament.

The AUC Chairperson represented H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union, in overseeing the electoral process and taking of the oath of office by the new elected Members of Parliament.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

Source: APO

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On May 1, commencing at 10:40 a.m. local time (6:40 p.m. on same day, Japan time) for 30 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves LOURENÇO, President of Angola.

1. At the outset, President Lourenço expressed his welcome for Minister MOTEGI’s visit and expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Angolan people for Japan’s cooperation in infrastructure and various other fields through the TICAD process. He also stated his desire to further develop bilateral relations, especially in the economic field.

2. In response, Minister MOTEGI expressed his condolences for the recent flood damage in Angola, and thanked President Lourenço for his contribution as co-chair at TICAD 9 last year. He stated that this year marks the 10th anniversary of Japan’s advocacy for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” in Africa and the 50th anniversary of Japan-Angola diplomatic relations, and expressed his desire to cooperate in maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law and further developing bilateral relations, taking this visit as an opportunity.

3. Next, Minister MOTEGI, while referring to Japan’s assistance in areas such as landmine clearance, health, and infrastructure, stated his desire to expand economic relations in the fields of critical minerals and energy, which Angola is rich in. Both sides concurred in encouraging Japanese companies to participate in the trading of Angolan crude oil. In addition, they also concurred in further promoting cooperation in private sector and strengthen economic ties, bearing in mind the investment agreement that came into effect two years ago.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Source: APO

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The Zambian government’s decision to postpone RightsCon 2026, effectively canceling the summit, raises concerns about the authorities’ commitment to free expression and assembly and about possible Chinese government interference, Human Rights Watch said today. The 14th edition of RightsCon was scheduled to be held in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, from May 5 to 8, 2026.

In an April 29 statement, the Zambian government said that the postponement was “necessitated by the need for comprehensive disclosure […] relating to key thematic issues proposed for discussion during the Summit.” The technology and science minister had earlier said that the postponement was to allow for “pending administrative and security clearances” of some speakers. As a result, the RightsCon organizers, Access Now, announced on April 29 that “we do not recommend registered participants travel to Lusaka for RightsCon.”

“The Zambia government’s flimsy reasons for postponing RightsCon suggest that the government wanted to control the summit’s human rights agenda,” said Idriss Ali Nassah, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should fully explain the last-minute cancellation, which is a serious loss for the promotion of human rights.”

Civil society groups have criticized the action. A statement by the Net Rights Coalition and more than 130 digital rights stakeholders said that the postponement and effective cancellation of the event raises concerns about closing the civic space in Zambia.

RightsCon is a leading summit on human rights and technology, where discussions center on building strategies toward a more free, open, and connected digital world. Human Rights Watch staff members were planning to speak at several sessions, including on protecting core internet functions in situations of conflict, the export of surveillance technology, corporate accountability, and the ethics of using technology in human rights research.

“By shutting down RightsCon, the Zambian government is shutting down discussions and opportunities to strategize and connect on some of the most crucial human rights issues of our time,” said Deborah Brown, technology and rights deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “It’s a terrible blow to the digital rights movement in Zambia and globally.”

In 2023, over 300 participants, predominantly from the Global South, who applied for visa-on-arrival, were denied entry and excluded from participating in the RightsCon event in Costa Rica. In 2024, the United Nations Internet Governance Forum was hosted by Saudi Arabia, which discouraged meaningful civil society participation due to fears of surveillance, harassment, and reprisals, and resulted in censorship of human rights discussions.

A leading Zambian academic, Sishuwa Sishuwa, told Human Rights Watch that Zambian authorities may have been worried that delegates to the summit, mostly human rights activists, “would have put the country under scrutiny” for its human rights record. He said that “Zambia has seen severe restrictions on the rights to peaceful assembly, free speech, and freedom of association, the arrests of government critics and political opponents on a variety of charges such as criminal libel, sedition, unlawful assembly, and the broadly expanded laws on hate speech. These themes would have been discussed at the summit, weeks before the start of the official campaign for the August general election.”

In April 2025, the Zambian Parliament enacted the Cyber Security Act and the Cyber Crimes Act. Zambian civil society organizations contended that some provisions of the laws did not adhere to international human rights standards and were a threat to the principles of democracy, transparency, accountability, and rights. The two laws have been used to curtail freedom of expression online and to arrest political opponents.

The Law Association of Zambia petitioned the High Court to declare provisions of the Cyber Crimes Act unconstitutional. The matter is pending in court.

On March 3, the Ministry of Technology and Science had welcomed the hosting of RightsCon 2026 when it met with the organizers and emphasized that the summit was consistent with Zambia’s national development agenda. It also reaffirmed the Zambian government’s commitment to collaborate with the organizers to ensure the successful hosting of the summit. According to some expected participants, the ministry had issued them official letters in February to support granting them visas to attend the conference.

A civil society activist involved in the RightsCon organizing committee in Lusaka told Human Rights Watch that the postponement came after the Chinese government had expressed displeasure to Zambian authorities about invited participants from Taiwan. A Zambian media outlet similarly reported that Zambian authorities were uncomfortable with the participation of “Taiwanese delegates who would potentially speak against China at a venue donated by the Chinese government.”

The Mulungushi Conference Center, which was to host the summit, was refurbished in 2020 with funding from the Chinese government at a reported cost of US$60 million. Zambian authorities at the time described the support as a “gift from […] China” with “no strings attached.” Human Rights Watch could not independently verify that China had a role in the government’s decision. Human Rights Watch requested comment from the Zambian government and the Chinese Embassy in Lusaka but did not receive an immediate response.

China is a major investor in Zambia, particularly in the mining sector, and Zambia is also part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Human Rights Watch has long documented abusive health, safety, and labor conditions associated with Chinese mining interests, some of which pose harm to residents. Despite repeated public concerns and calls for accountability, the Zambian government has for years shown little willingness to effectively regulate these operations.

The cancellation of RightsCon underscores the need for such events to be hosted in countries where the government openly embraces debate on human rights and supports fundamental freedoms, Human Rights Watch said.

“The human rights environment in Zambia has become increasingly hostile to perceived dissent, criticism, and political opposition to the government ahead of the 2026 elections,” Nassah said. “Zambian authorities should take all necessary steps to ensure that it allows for the free exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly and allows for civil society to meet in an environment free of government interference.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Source: APO – Report:

Most Africans are supportive of media holding government to account and favour press freedom over government regulation, the latest Afrobarometer (www.Afrobarometer.org) Pan-Africa Profile (https://apo-opa.co/4ukNfS8) shows.

While support for a free press is a majority position in nearly all surveyed countries, substantial minorities in most countries – and a large majority in Mali – favour government control over what the media can publish.

The new report, based on 45,600 interviews across 38 African countries in 2024/2025, also shows that citizen assessments of whether media freedom is protected in their country are mixed. Only a slim majority see the media in their country as largely free, and that perception has declined slightly over the past half-decade.

The findings further suggest ambivalence: Support for media freedom is somewhat lower among respondents who perceive their country’s media as free than among those who see it as unfree.

Key findings

• Most Africans (72%) support media playing a role in holding governments accountable (Figure 1).
  • Support for the media’s watchdog role is the majority position in every surveyed country, ranging above eight in 10 in Mauritius (86%), Nigeria (83%), Uganda (82%), Ghana (82%), Congo-Brazzaville (81%), and Chad (81%).
  • And even in countries where support for media reporting on government mistakes and corruption is relatively weak, such as Mozambique (58%), Angola (56%), and São Tomé and Príncipe (54%), only minorities prefer avoiding reporting on negative events.
• Nearly two-thirds (65%) of citizens support media freedom, including majorities in all surveyed countries except Tanzania (49%) and Mali (27%) (Figure 2).
  • In several countries, support for media freedom exceeds three-fourths of the population, including Mauritius (86%), Seychelles (85%), Congo-Brazzaville (80%), Lesotho (77%), Chad (76%), and Botswana (76%).
• Assessments of whether the media is free are mixed: 53% of respondents say the media in their country is largely free, but 43% see it as subject to censorship or government interference (Figure 3).
  • Perceptions of media freedom vary widely across Africa, from highs of 81% in Tanzania and 77% in Liberia and to just 28% in Comoros and 16% in Congo-Brazzaville.
• Across 30 countries surveyed in both 2019/2021 and 2024/2025, perceptions that the media is free have declined by 4 percentage points (Figure 4).
  • The largest drops in the share of respondents who perceive the media as free were recorded in Guinea (-34 percentage points), Lesotho (-22 points), Nigeria    (-22 points), and Botswana (-20 points).
  • Over the same period, Liberia has seen an enormous 58-point jump in perceived press freedom, moving from the least free to the second-most free. Gabon (+24 points) and Zambia (+22 points) also recorded large gains.
• People who see the media in their country as largely free are somewhat less likely to support media freedom than who see their media as unfree (63% vs. 69%) (Figure 5).

Afrobarometer surveys

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, nonpartisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Ten survey rounds in up to 45 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 surveys (2024/2025) cover 38 countries.

Afrobarometer’s National Partners conduct face-to-face interviews with nationally representative samples of adults in the language of the respondent’s choice that yield country-level results with margins of error of +/-2 to +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

– on behalf of Afrobarometer.

For more information, please contact:
Josephine Appiah-Nyamekye Sanny
Director of communications
Email: jappiah@afrobarometer.org
Telephone: +233243240933
Visit us online at www.Afrobarometer.org.

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