Media, Peace and Security

Media, Peace and SecurityDate | 13 November 2025

Tomorrow (14 November), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will convene its 1311^th Session virtually under the theme ‘Media, Peace and Security.’

Following opening remarks from Churchill Ewumbue-Monono, the Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the AU and chairperson of the PSC for the month of November, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), Bankole Adeoye, is expected to make a statement. It is also anticipated that Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), will make a presentation alongside Omar Faruk Osman, President of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ).

Tomorrow’s session builds on the Council’s growing recognition of the role that information ecosystems play in shaping peace, security, and governance outcomes on the continent. Although the PSC held sessions on media regarding the protection of journalists and access to information in conflict situations (1230^th Session), in relation to emerging technologies (1097^th Session), and how media can enhance accountability on Women, Peace and Security Commitments (635^th Session), tomorrow’s session is expected to broaden the discussion to the larger nexus between media, peacebuilding, and democratic stability. The session comes at a time when Africa’s information landscape is transforming rapidly, marked by the expansion of digital technologies, social media platforms, and citizen journalism. While these technologies have empowered civic expression, they have also become potent tools for spreading misinformation, hate, incitement of violence and fueling polarisation in the continent’s fragile security environments.

Recently, it has been observed that in some countries, the manipulation of media at a time of conflict and elections has demonstrated how easily information spaces can turn into battlegrounds. Africa’s history demonstrates the destructive potential of media when manipulated to fuel conflict, from the role of radio in inciting violence during Rwanda’s genocide to the weaponisation of digital platforms in Sudan’s ongoing war. In Sudan, rival factions have launched aggressive online campaigns using hashtags such as #SudanIsBleeding and #ProtectSudaneseCivilians, each seeking to control the narrative and claim victimhood. Analysts describe Sudan’s online space as both a ‘coordinated theatre of emotional and political manipulation’ and a ‘parallel battlefield,’ where competing propaganda shapes perceptions as powerfully as weapons on the ground.

The rise of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has also opened a new front in disinformation across Africa, where fake audio, deep fake videos, and endorsements are being used to sway elections and trigger instability. For example, the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria, described as witnessing possibly the first large-scale use of AI-generated electoral content on the continent and the 2024 polls in South Africa, where deep‑fakes depicted the U.S. President Biden issuing threats, to influence public opinion and undermine trust in the electoral process.

On the other hand, there is the use of media by violent extremist groups. Al‑Shabaab not only crafts consistent narratives across Facebook, Telegram, X, YouTube and other media outlets, but also rapidly adapts to platform moderation, creating backup accounts and shifting platforms as needed, thus turning online spaces into an integral front of its overall insurgency strategy. In this regard, the PSC during its 1097^th session held in August 2022 has also addressed the dual role of emerging technologies and new media in Africa, recognising their potential to advance democratic governance, peace and sustainable development, while expressing deep concern about their misuse for cyber‑attacks, disinformation, extremist propaganda and hate speech. During that session, the Council requested the AU Commission to undertake a comprehensive study on Emerging Technologies and New Media: Impact on Democratic Governance, Peace and Security in Africa, which is expected to be followed up on during tomorrow’s session.

Given that the session takes place only days after the commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (2 November), tomorrow’s discussions are expected to place strong emphasis on the protection of journalists in conflict settings. While Africa has made commendable progress, with 29 countries having adopted Access to Information laws, journalists, particularly those operating in conflict-affected areas, continue to face grave dangers, including harassment, arbitrary detention, and killings. Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the Sahel region remain among the most perilous environments for media practitioners.

A related and equally critical dimension is the plight of women journalists, who are disproportionately impacted by gender-based violence, underrepresentation, and discriminatory media practices. Notably, the gendered nature of online abuse has become increasingly severe; a recent survey by the International Centre for Journalists revealed that 73% of women journalists have experienced online violence, with 25% receiving threats of physical harm and 18% facing threats of sexual violence. In this regard, the ACHPR, in its Press Statement marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, called on African states, technology companies, and civil society to adopt concrete and gender-responsive measures to end impunity for crimes against journalists and ensure a safe and enabling environment for all media professionals.

In view of the foregoing and building on earlier recommendations of the 1230^th Session, the PSC could discuss developments regarding national adoption of Access to Information (ATI) laws and gender-sensitive protection mechanisms for women journalists who face distinct threats in both online and physical media environments. Furthermore, the session may consider reviewing progress made on implementing international declarations and resolutions aimed at enhancing the safety of journalists. The Council could also revisit its previous recommendation for AU member states to establish a Working Group on the Protection of Journalists and National Coordination Mechanisms for the Safety of Journalists, while also following up on its call to form a Group of Friends for the Safety of Journalists within the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) to collaborate with relevant stakeholders, such as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and AU Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) journalists’ networks to strengthen coordination, promote accountability, and ensure a secure environment for media practitioners across the continent.

Another point that is expected to be covered during tomorrow’s session is the phenomenon of media capture and exclusionary representation, which presents formidable obstacles to democratic governance and peacebuilding. On the one hand, the consolidation of media ownership by political elites or business interests, commonly manifested in state-controlled or influenced outlets, impairs independent journalism and skews public discourse: for example, a study found that in parts of Africa other than North Africa, 98 % of the 131 media outlets surveyed were either state-controlled or captured by public/state entities. On the other hand, media narratives routinely marginalise women, youth, minorities and conflict-affected communities, curtailing their voice in public dialogue and thereby eroding inclusive social cohesion.

Despite the dangers, media and technology can also be harnessed constructively to advance peace, reconciliation, and democratic resilience. UNESCO’s recent Social Media 4 Peace project, piloted in Kenya and other countries, exemplifies how digital platforms can be leveraged to promote peace-positive narratives and counter misinformation that fuels division. Similarly, country-level initiatives such as Nigeria’s PesaCheck and Ghana’s CDD fact-checking groups play a vital role in debunking false rumours and mitigating the risk of violence through real-time information verification. Building on these positive innovations, tomorrow’s PSC session presents an important opportunity not only to reaffirm the role of media in early warning and conflict prevention but also to broaden the discussion toward its strategic use in peacebuilding, transitional justice, and mediation processes. The PSC has previously underscored that access to credible and timely information is central to early warning systems and conflict-sensitive decision-making. However, beyond crisis detection, the media can be a platform for facilitating dialogue, supporting reconciliation narratives, and fostering inclusive participation in transitional justice mechanisms. As such, the Council may explore how partnerships with media actors and digital platforms can be institutionalised within the AU’s peace and security architecture, not only as tools for alert and prevention but as enduring instruments for sustaining peace, accountability, and post-conflict healing.

The expected outcome of tomorrow’s PSC session is a press statement. With the aim of strengthening the role of the media in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, the PSC is expected to encourage the AU Commission to integrate media analysis, digital monitoring, and fact-checking partnerships into its early warning and preventive diplomacy initiatives. The Council may also urge post-conflict states to collaborate with media institutions to promote reconciliation narratives, amplify transitional justice messages, and give visibility to victims and marginalised communities. On the safety of journalists, the PSC may reiterate its call to establish a Working Group and a Group of Friends on the Protection of Journalists within the PRC, while urging member states to create National Coordination Mechanisms comprising government, media, civil society, and law enforcement to address threats and impunity. It may further call for the inclusion of measures addressing online and offline gender-based violence against women journalists in national policies. To counter disinformation and hate speech, the PSC may request the AU Commission to expedite completion of the study on Emerging Technologies and New Media and use its findings to develop a continental framework on Digital Peace and Information Integrity. Lastly, the PSC may urge states to align national media and digital governance laws with the ACHPR Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and promote collaboration between the AU, UNESCO, ACHPR, FAJ, and regional journalist networks to enhance training on digital literacy, conflict-sensitive reporting, and responsible media engagement in peace operations.