Propaganda and disinformation thrive in what is still one of the most dangerous terrains for journalists. While French reporterOlivier Dubois was finally released after 711 days as a hostage inMali, a total of five journalists were killed in connection with their work, Cameroon (138th), Kenya (116th), Somalia(141st)and Rwanda (131st). Even if investigations are opened, they do not always lead to identification of the instigators, as seen in the cases of Cameroonian journalists and Rwandan journalists.
In this environment where impunity reigns, arbitrary arrests on spurious grounds are on the rise, targeting investigative reporters in particular. Once a regional model, Senegal (104th) has fallen31 places in the index, above all because of the judicial proceedings against two journalists, Pape Alé Niang and PapeNdiaye, and a sharp deterioration in security conditions for reporters.
In Burundi (114th), radio journalist FlorianeIrangabiye’s extremely harsh 10-year prison sentence helped to keep this country towards the bottom of the index.
