Djibouti
In 2020, Djibouti was ranked 176 out of 180 according to the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI). In the past five years, the country’s position hasn’t moved drastically but it is getting lower still.
“One exile radio station, nothing else” is how Reporters Without Borders (RSF) put the situation in the African country into words. RSF is an independent non-governmental organization which goals are to promote democracy and advocate for media independence. Since 2002, they are publishing their annual WFPI which measures the level of freedom for journalists and evaluates the overall performance of countries and regions.
Djibouti is almost at the bottom of the list. There are no privately- owned or independent media outlets, and WFPI states that journalists live in fear. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has been the country’s president since 1999 and he uses the few Djibouti- based media outlets for propaganda. In a 2019 report from RSF, Djibouti is described as an “information black hole.”
La Voix de Djibouti is the only independent media outlet in the country which broadcasts from Belgium. However, the signal is repeatedly interrupted, and their website is banned by the authorities. To limit access to social media where the freedom of expression is high, the internet connection in Djibouti has been slowed down and is currently one of the slowest in Africa. The Association for Respect for Human Rights in Djibouti (ARDHD) website is also often blocked from the service provider. The pressure and the disallowance of free speech force journalists to work anonymously to avoid being assaulted.
In June 2020, Kassim Nouh Abar and Mohamed Ibrahim Wais- two Djiboutian journalists working for La Voix de Djibouti were arrested. One of them- an RSF correspondent. The reporters were covering the most popular story in the country at that time: after criticizing the Djiboutian president and government in a video, a former air force pilot called Fouad Youssouf Ali was captured and imprisoned. He managed to smuggle another video from his prison cell which shows the horrible conditions he is being held in. The two journalists were later released but the police did not return the laptop they took from the RSF reporter Mohamed Wais.
Freedom House is an American non-governmental organization which “works to defend human rights and promote democratic change.” Their report called Freedom in the World from 2020 categorizes Djibouti as “not free” with a score of 24 out of 100 points.
Previously, the country was given one out of four points for the free and independent media category. However, the score has lowered to zero points because the government has enforced a virtual monopoly and has been punishing journalists who try to independently comment and share the news. Reporters are forced to practice self-censorship. The authorities own the dominant television station, newspaper, and radio broadcaster.
###
Margarita Arsova is studying at the American University in Bulgaria and majoring in Journalism and Business Administration. Her biggest passion is dancing and she loves travelling.
