The Whistleblowers, Activists and Journalists Safety International Center (WAJSIC) have organized a networking event to tackle the escalating threats facing journalists, whistleblowers, and human rights defenders across West Africa.
Held at the Airport View Hotel in Accra, the one-day exchange convened media professionals, civil society actors, and development partners in a safe space to network, share experiences, and explore lasting solutions to the growing hostility truth-tellers face.
The event, themed “Networking Event for Media Professionals, Industry Stakeholders, and Supporting Institutions,” combined expert panel discussions, interactive workshops, Q&A sessions, and real-world storytelling to drive one central message truth has defenders, and they are not alone.
Delivering a speech Mr. Abduolaye Diallo, Executive Director of WAJSIC, participants were confronted with sobering data: over 480 journalists attacked, 1,200 human rights defenders harassed or arrested, and 86 whistleblowers facing retaliation in the past year alone. Of these, 17 were forced into exile.
“These are not just numbers. They are our colleagues, our partners, and our friends,” Mr. Diallo’s message stated adding, “today, we gather to change this dangerous reality.”
He expressed gratitude to GIZ for their critical support and to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) for their collaboration, stressing the need for continued partnership to protect those who risk their lives to expose wrongdoing.
Diallo paid tribute to Anas AremeyawAnas, the investigative journalist and founder of WAJSIC saying, “Anas is a moral compass… a man who has never hesitated to reach out, to fight for his fellow journalists… His generosity, humility, and effectiveness make him a real figure in our times,” he said.
He recalled their partnership since 2009 and their work building SINUZU, the Nobel Zungu Cell for Investigative Journalism in West Africa describing WAJSIC as a continuation of that vision to defend truth and justice in the region.
Madam Dora Boamah Mawutor, representing the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), emphasised that the role of journalists and whistleblowers in West Africa could not be overstated especially in countries where democratic institutions often fail.
“In a region so blessed with resources, our people should be living the best of lives. But mismanagement, corruption, and collusion between the executive, legislature and sometimes the judiciary, leave the media as the last line of defense.”
She reiterated MFWA’s support for WAJSIC and affirmed the need for coordinated efforts to guarantee a safe and enabling environment for investigative journalism and civic activism.
“That is why we need to support the work of WAJSIC. Through partnerships like this, we can ensure that journalists and whistleblowers have both physical safety and institutional protection,” she added.
Representing GIZ, Mr. Kweku Obeng, Component Manager, praised WAJSIC’s initiative and emphasised that journalists and whistleblowers are the “unsung heroes of democratic accountability,” saying “you uncover the uncomfortable truths and give voice to the voiceless — often at great personal risk.”
He noted that GIZ is supporting WAJSIC through the Participation, Accountability, Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIRD) program, a three-year initiative co-funded by Germany’s BMZ, the European Union, and SECO, and implemented with Ghana’s Ministry of Finance.
He warned that corruption drains essential services like education and healthcare but even more dangerous is the silencing of those who expose it.
“A nation where speaking the truth becomes a hazard is a nation in peril. It’s not just a matter of safety. It’s a matter of survival for democracy,” he stressed. He urged participants to think beyond traditional frameworks and shared a humorous, but reflective story about four insurance companies trying to outdo each other with slogans, underscoring the need for innovation, boldness and resilience in the fight for truth.
