The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA),Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has urged governments worldwide to prioritize the protection and safety of journalists.
Speaking at a panel discussion in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mr Dwumfour expressed deep concern over the growing number of attacks on journalists globally, including fatal incidents.
He emphasized the critical need for governments to demonstrate greater commitment to ending impunity by ensuring the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for these crimes.
The call was made during a two-day event marking this year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. The panel discussion, themed “Ensuring the Safety and Protection of Journalists by Addressing Impunity: A Responsibility for the World,” was jointly organized by the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
This year’s commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists was jointly organized by UNESCO and the African Union (AU) under the theme: “Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies.”
Accompanying Mr. Dwumfour at the event was GJA General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah. Among the event’s highlights was the launch of the Virtual Scroll – a screen projection that displayed the casualty profile of 1,653 journalists who have been killed worldwide between 1993 and 2023.
Among the victims was Ghanaian investigative journalist Ahmed Suale, whose murder in 2019 remains unresolved, with no arrests made five years after his death.
Describing the global figure of journalist fatalities as alarming, Mr Dwumfour called for decisive action to curb such killings. “At the international level, we must advocate for severe sanctions against states or governments that are complicit in harming journalists,” he said. “Leaders of such governments must be held personally accountable for these crimes.”
Mr. Dwumfour also stressed the importance of preventive measures, calling for increased public education on journalists’ critical role in national development. He explained that such efforts would help cultivate a public understanding of the need to protect journalists and safeguard their safety.
“This will encourage the public to take an active role in ensuring the protection and safety of journalists,” he added.
The call for stronger protection and accountability comes at a time when journalists continue to face increasing risks in many parts of the world.
