Promoting Effective and Inclusive ICT Policy in Africa

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  HomeCollaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)  /  Freedom of expression
23Sep

UNESCO Supports Collaborative Consultation on African Languages and Knowledge Systems at FIFAfrica25

Author CIPESA Posted on

FIFAfrica25 |

At the upcoming 12th edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) set to take place on September 24-26, UNESCO in partnership with the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) will host an expert consultation on addressing harmful content, disinformation and hate speech, by promoting digital inclusion through leveraging Africa’s indigenous languages.

The multi-stakeholder consultation aims to develop practical recommendations and foster collaborations to integrate African indigenous languages into digital safety, content moderation, and inclusion strategies.

The consultation seeks to recognising the UN International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032), UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, and the UN Global Principles on Information Integrity. These frameworks all call for multi-stakeholder actions to ensure technology serves all communities equitably. As such, this multi-stakeholder consultation at FIFAfrica aims to bridge global principles with African realities. Discussions will explore how to shift the paradigm from viewing local and indigenous languages as a challenge for platforms to recognising them as a critical asset for building a safer and more inclusive internet for all.

The discussions will unpack the significant moderation gap facing local and Indigenous African languages by mapping the technical, resource, and data deficits in line with UNESCO’s work on fostering freedom of expression (online and offline), the participants will also provide expert inputs in strategic consultative sessions on Resolutions 620 (data), 630 (information integrity), and 631 (Public service content) by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), which will take place at the Forum. that undermine effective content moderation and the development of AI tools for low-resource languages. Participants will also explore how Indigenous knowledge systems—particularly traditional methods of verification, dialogue, and conflict resolution—can strengthen community-level responses to disinformation when integrated into modern media and information literacy (MIL) programmes.

Complementing this, the conversations will focus on what it takes to build a sustainable linguistic ecosystem, including the policy interventions, funding models, and multi-stakeholder partnerships required to support the creation of digital tools and content, such as keyboards and NLP models in Indigenous languages like those supported by Masakhane. Finally, the discussions will consider how global frameworks can be adapted to Africa’s contexts to create practical, actionable pathways for technology companies and policymakers across Eastern Africa.

The consultation will comprise academics, technologists, civil society actors, and the media. CIPESA is pleased to receive the support of UNESCO at FIFAfrica, including enabling experts from Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa to also contribute to consultations on Resolutions 620 (data), 630 (information integrity), and 631 (Public service content) by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). These efforts are in line with UNESCO’s work on fostering freedom of expression, including through the. Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) global initiative.

22Sep

FIFAfrica25 Invites YOU to “Be The Experience”!

Author CIPESA Posted on

FIFAfrica25 |

This year, we invite participants of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica25) to “Be the experience!” The Forum will encourage attendees, onsite or participating remotely to engage in various interactions that bring digital rights issues to life.  These experiences aim to break down barriers between complex digital rights policy concepts and real-world lived experiences. Ultimately, whether you are a policymaker, activist, journalist, academic, technologist, or artist, FIFAfrica25 will have a space for you to contribute.

Here is what we have lined up: 

  • An online community of attendees already meeting and engaging with each other on various topics. Be sure to be registered on the event platform to join in. 
  • An immersive exhibition where various organisations and individuals will share their work and artworks.
  • A biker doing a round trip across 10 countries (more details below) to advance the call for the #RoadToDigitalSafety 

A Run for #InternetFreedomAfrica that aims to bring together participants to jog, or walk in solidarity with the call for a free, fair and open internet. More details below.

“Be The Experience” and Win!

We have some goodies lined up to reward those who have lived up to the FIFAfrica’s Be The Experience experience, this could be through vibrant engagement that gets you high scores on the event leader board, sharing compelling post online – and tagging us, through to active engagement in sessions and with the different exhibitors at the Forum.  Use the hashtags #InternetFreedomAfrica and #FIFAfrica25 to join a vibrant community working to shape a more open, inclusive, and rights-respecting digital future for the continent. Be sure to also follow CIPESA (@cipesaug) on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The Journey To FIFAfrica25 Already Begun

A week ago, Andrew Gole set off on an extraordinary solo motorbike journey that will span over 13,000 km across 10 African countries. His mission is to ride from Uganda all the way to Windhoek, Namibia – arriving just in time for the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica25) where he will also be part of the Digital Security Hub. Here are some pictures of Gole at the Kenya – Uganda border alongside members of the bikers club the accompanied him from Kampala to the border.

Andrew Gole set off from Kampala, Uganda on September 12, 2025 and as of today, has traversed five of the ten countries he is expected to journey through on hos #RoadToDigitalSafey.

Join the Run for #InternetFreedomAfrica Is Heading to Windhoek


We are taking the movement for digital rights beyond the conference halls and onto the streets. On September 24, 2025, join a community of attendees and everyday internet users for a run and walk that celebrates our collective call for a free, open and secure internet across Africa.

The run is set to coincide with the arrival of Andrew Gole who is riding from Uganda to Namibia. By being a part of the run – and several other morning runs that will be part of the Forum (look out for updates in the event platform).  Whether you’re jogging, walking, or cheering from the sidelines, the Run for Internet Freedom is a moment to be part of a movement that builds digital resilience. digital inclusion and pushes back against digital repression.

More details will be shared about the run soon.

10Sep

The FIFAfrica25 Agenda and Speaker Lineup Is Live!

Author CIPESA Posted on

By FIFAfrica |

The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica25) is fast approaching, and the excitement is building. This year’s edition, hosted by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) in partnership with the Namibian Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) and the Namibia Internet Governance Forum (NamIGF), will take place in Windhoek, Namibia, from 22–26 September 2025. We are pleased to announce that the speaker line-up and full agenda is now available, offering a comprehensive line-up of conversations, experiences, and networking opportunities.

This year’s Forum will serve as yet another edition in FIFAfrica’s 12-year history of assembling digital rights defenders, policymakers, technologists, academics, regulators, journalists, and the donor community, who all have the shared vision of advancing internet freedom in Africa. FIFAfrica25 promises to build on this legacy, with an agenda that is engaging and inclusive of the many shifts we have witnessed since last year.

Here is What You Can Expect

Pre-Events by invitation (September 22-24, 2025)
FIFAfrica25 kicks off with a series of pre-events designed to engage allies, stock-take and build skills and knowledge ahead of the main programme. These include community-driven workshops, closed-door strategic dialogues, and network member meetings that allow participants to dive deeper into niche areas of digital rights and governance. Over the years, pre-events have served as an exciting avenue for various organisations to connect early, showcase their work, sharpen ideas, and prepare new communities for the various sessions at the main event.

The pre-events are by invitation only. However, limited spots are available for additional participants in select events. Are you arriving in Windhoek early and interested? Express interest in attending a pre-event here.

A Diverse Main Programme (September 25-26, 2025)
The main agenda features plenary sessions, workshops, consultations, breakout discussions, and networking moments. Sessions cover a wide array of topics reflecting themes that emerged from our public call for proposals, including digital inclusion, digital resilience and safety; freedom of expression & access to information; platform accountability; the implications of AI; digital economy; and digital democracy.

Strategic Consultations
As part of the Forum, various strategic meetings have been set up with the goal of deeper-level discussion and interrogation of specific issues and processes. These include efforts aimed at influencing action on areas such as various resolutions of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) and Digital Public Infrastructure. Additionally, this year a book launch on internet shutdowns features amongst the strategic engagements. These engagements will allow for frank exchanges on some of the challenges in the digital ecosystem, but will likely also cast a light on more opportunities for collaboration across Africa and beyond.

Immersive Experience
This year, we want participants at FIFAfrica to “Be the experience!” Accordingly, the Forum will encourage attendees, onsite or participating remotely to partake in various interactions that  bring digital rights issues to life.  These experiences aim to break down barriers between complex digital rights policy concepts and real-world lived experiences.

These include:

  • An interactive FIFAfrica25 exhibition showcasing research, campaigns, and various digital resilience tools.
    • Storytelling spaces where the #InternetFreedomAfrica community can share personal accounts of resilience and advocacy in digital spaces.
    • An art and activism installation reflecting FIFAfrica’s tradition of merging creativity with digital justice.
    • For the third time, the Digital Security on Wheels is back on a one-of-a-kind journey which will see biker Digital Security expert Andrew Gole set off from Kampala, Uganda, weaving through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Botswana before crossing the finish line in Windhoek, Namibia just in time for the opening of FIFAfrica25. His route back to Uganda will also include Zambia and Rwanda.
    • The Run for Internet Freedom in Africa aims to bring together participants to jog, or walk in solidarity with the call for a free, fair and open internet. More details to follow.

Celebrating the International Day for Universal Access to Information
FIFAfrica25 will continue the practice of commemorating the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) celebrated annually on September 28. While the Forum this year precedes the IDUAI, many sessions and plenary discussions will highlight the essential role of access to information in enabling civic participation, inclusion, and digital democracy. This year’s global theme, “Ensuring Access to Environmental Information in the Digital Age”, focuses on the vital importance of timely, comprehensive, and cross-border access to environmental information in an increasingly digital world and resonates deeply with many of the Forum’s discussions.

Join Us in Windhoek

We invite you to explore the full agenda on the FIFAfrica website and begin planning your journey through the sessions, meetings, and immersive experiences (remember to register on the event platform and join the community there). Whether you are a policymaker, activist, journalist, academic, technologist, or artist, FIFAfrica25 will have a space for you to contribute.

02Sep

CIPESA and PALU Challenge Rwanda to Address Digital Rights Gaps in UPR Review

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Edrine Wanyama |

Rwanda’s digital rights record has been assessed by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) in a joint submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The review contributes to the efforts of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism to strengthen human and digital rights within the country. Notably, the review underscores the urgent need for reforms to safeguard freedom of expression, privacy, and digital inclusion in the face of evolving technologies and governance challenges.

The report highlights positive progress such as the enactment of the Data Protection and Privacy Law (Law No. 058/2021) which protects individuals’ data and establishes the Rwanda National Cyber Security Authority (NCSA) to oversee personal data management. The report also notes the establishment of the Irembo platform, which serves as a basis for enhancing access to public services.

Through the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) for the period 2024 to 2029, the Rwanda government aims to attain 100% e-service access for Rwandans by 2030, including through enhancing digital skills and literacy under the Digital Ambassadors Programme. There have also been concerted efforts aimed to ensure the financial inclusion of women.

Nevertheless, fundamental freedoms, including free expression, access to information, assembly and association, remain severely restricted in the country. The report observes elevated and systematic threats and intimidation, harassment, arrests and detention and prosecution of government opponents and critics, human rights defenders (HRDs), journalists, and other online activists. This has had a chilling effect on the exercise of freedoms. Access to several websites has been blocked on government orders, while victims of government wrath are often slapped with lengthy prison sentences, which also serves as a tool to silence those who do not agree with the government.

Digital inclusion is also still a major challenge, especially for women, persons with disabilities and the rural populace. According to the report, digital inclusion continues to have adverse effects on the exercise of online rights and freedoms, although the country has a high broadband coverage (99%). Smart phone penetration remains low at 22% and the majority of citizens do not use the internet. The high taxes and high internet costs have further aggravated the inclusion gap.

In terms of its data protection landscape, the report acknowledges the positive step of enacting the Data Protection Act, but notes that the law is weak, lacks strong safeguards such as judicial oversight, and contains a substantively less effective redress mechanism.

Moreover, the report underscores that there is enhanced surveillance of individuals and their communications using sophisticated spyware and malware, such as NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, and the extensive Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) networks. The surveillance has been deployed to target, threaten and intimidate journalists and other critics.

The report makes several recommendations to the committee to consider if the human rights record of Rwanda in online spaces is to be improved. These recommendations call on the government of Rwanda to:

  • Decriminalise defamation and review vague laws used to suppress freedom of expression and peaceful dissent.
  • Establish independent oversight over surveillance practices and introduce judicial safeguards to protect privacy.
  • Strengthen the implementation of the Access to Information law and ensure that public bodies proactively disclose information.
  • Enhance the capacity of the Rwanda National Cyber Security Authority to enforce data protection while ensuring its independence from executive interference.
  • Promote inclusive digital access, especially for women, persons with disabilities, and rural communities.
  • Cease censorship and arbitrary removal of online content, and establish transparent mechanisms for content moderation.
  • Establish a favourable and safe environment for operations of human rights defenders, journalists and other online activists as opposed to persecuting them by repealing or amending laws to provide for rights-respecting provisions.
  • Prohibit and penalise tech-facilitated gender-based violence especially against women and ensure their access to timely and effective redress.
  • Investigate all cases of enforced disappearance, ensuring punishment for any perpetrators and justice for survivors and their family members.
  • Make strong and repeated public statements at the highest government levels to make clear that all law enforcement authorities and investigation agencies should comply with the law, and that all detained people must be brought to court within 24 hours.
  • Embrace universal design and ensure its full integration into the IremboGov platform to cater for and ensure that persons with disabilities especially visual impairments have full access to all of its services.

  See full Report here.

06Aug

Ayele Addis Ambelu

Author CIPESA Posted on

Ayele Addis Ambelu is an award-winning journalist, investigative reporter, and digital rights advocate with over five years of experience in public interest journalism. He works with Africa News Channel and Ethiopian Mass Media Action (EMMA NEWS), producing in-depth stories on digital
governance, human rights, technology, and environmental justice. Ayele’s reporting focuses on the impact of digital public infrastructure—such as digital ID systems, open data, and internet access—on marginalized communities in Ethiopia and across Africa. He holds an MA in Media and
Communication and has published over 100 investigative pieces spanning radio, online, and academic platforms. As a media literacy trainer and program editor, Ayele also mentors emerging journalists on fact-checking, digital safety, and AI in the newsroom. His work has been recognised by the Nile Media Awards, the Festove investigative Media Award in Switzerland, the African Continental Re media award in South Africa, and WHO Africa. He is passionate about using journalism to expose inequality and drive inclusive digital transformation.

Below articles published include,

Digital Ethiopia or Digital Mirage? Who Pays When E-Government Fails

Behind Fayda: The Hidden Costs, Winners, and Losers of Ethiopia’s Digital ID Revolution

What is the digital ID that is supposed to be issued to all legal residents of Ethiopia?

Challenges and solutions of the Digital Ethiopia 2025 journey

Digital Ethiopia or Digital Mirage? Who Pays When E-Government Fails

Digital Ethiopia 2030: A Bold National Vision at the Crossroads of Promise and Peril

800 types of government services converted to digital

Audio Recordings

By Ayele Addis Ambelu

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