African Journalists Against Genocide: A call to protect media workers in Gaza
Participants hold pictures of Palestinian journalists killed by Israel in Gaza during a demonstration in Bangkok, Thailand.
Image: Valeria Mongelli / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP
A coalition of African journalists has launched African Journalists Against Genocide (AJAG), condemning Israel’s deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists in Gaza.
The initiative is spearheaded by Nigerian broadcast journalist Ireti Bakare-Yusuf and brings together reporters and media professionals from more than 20 African countries.
In a joint statement and video message, the group denounced the killings of journalists in Gaza and called for international accountability.
Since the escalation of the war, over 250 journalists have been killed in Gaza, making it the deadliest period for journalists in the 21st century.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s latest update on Thursday, a total of 70 Palestinians were killed and 356 injured in the past 24 hours. The total death toll since October 2023 has risen to 62,192 killed and 157,114 injured.
With Israel blocking foreign media access to the territory, Palestinian reporters have borne the responsibility of documenting the humanitarian crisis. AJAG says these journalists are being “punished for simply telling the world the truth.”
“The deliberate targeting of these journalists indicates the Israeli state’s clear strategy of suppressing the truth and silencing media,” the coalition said. “Without their voices, the world would be blind to the full scale of Israel’s campaign against a besieged population.”
Drawing parallels with Africa’s own history, AJAG compared Israel’s actions to colonialism and apartheid, urging the international community to impose sanctions similar to those once applied to apartheid South Africa.
“Reporting on the war crimes of the Israeli military and state is not a crime; killing journalists is a crime,” the statement continued. “Israel must be held accountable under international law. The world’s silence and inaction make us all complicit.”
AJAG has also appealed to journalist unions, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), and international press groups to join the call for justice. The coalition stressed that journalism is “the lifeblood of truth” and must be protected.
IOL