From 16th to 17th January, AfricTivistes, in collaboration with Article 19, equipped the media against cyber threats and physical assaults. This workshop is part of a broader project aimed at documenting and protecting civic space in Senegal. Over two days, journalists and other media professionals participated in sessions ranging from raising awareness about current digital threats faced by journalists to an in-depth session on the physical safety of journalists and techniques for defending against and preventing dangers.

The observation stemmed from the fact that in many countries around the world, including Senegal in recent years, the shrinking of civic space and violations of fundamental rights, particularly freedom of expression, press, and access to information, continue to pose significant challenges. Published in June 2024, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) report on press freedom in Senegal documented over 30 journalists who have been victims of police violence, along with 15 arrests and detentions of journalists over just the last three years.

Abdoulaye Ndiaye, Programme Officer at Article 19, opened the workshop with a session on the human rights situation in Senegal, particularly concerning press freedom and journalist safety. He extensively covered national and continental frameworks documents that protect journalists in the exercise of their duties. 

The second session, focusing on best practices for securing workspaces and electronic communications, was led by Félin Fabrice Kalonji, a digital security expert. During his presentation, he explored various types of digital threats such as account hacking, phishing, identity theft, and electronic surveillance. The expert, who presented via video link, also provided guidance on appropriate conduct in the face of digital dangers to navigate the internet safely, enabling journalists and media professionals to carry out their information-gathering missions securely.

Meanwhile, Mateuw Mbaye, Head of Protection and Civic Space at ARTICLE 19, and Abdoulaye Guene, IT Digital Support and Developer at AfricTivistes, presented the current digital threats faced by journalists to raise participants’ awareness of the evolving and variable nature of the dangers they may encounter in their role of informing the public accurately and truthfully. The increased use of technological tools has led to new forms of threats, including illegal surveillance practices made possible by technologies such as the Pegasus software.

The second day was dedicated to physical security and covering sensitive events, with Ngor Badu Dione, a member of AfricTivistes and risk management expert. This theme was particularly significant in the Senegalese context. From 2021 to 2024, during field reporting or covering sensitive events such as protests, media professionals have often been subjected to violence from various sources.

The risk management expert began with a conceptual clarification to help participants grasp the subject. To substantiate these concepts, examples were drawn from the participants’ experiences. Working in teams, participants identified and analysed the risks inherent in covering events, making the session interactive and participatory. In his conclusion, Mr Dione provided the media professionals present with a list of practical advice to ensure their physical integrity, protect themselves, and act in the face of threats.

To conclude the training, Abdou Aziz Cissé, Advocacy Officer for Democracy and Governance at AfricTivistes, presented a study on the vulnerability of the media in Senegal regarding digital and physical security. This marked a renewed commitment from AfricTivistes to foster resilient media in the face of digital and security threats and to support sustainable democracies.