Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
A coalition of African journalists united under the banner of African Journalists Against Genocide (AJAG) has condemned Israel’s targeting of Palestinian media workers in Gaza and called for international accountability, sanctions and solidarity from journalist bodies across the continent.
AJAG, founded by Nigerian broadcaster Ireti Bakare-Yusuf and representing journalists from more than 20 African countries accused Israel of deliberately silencing reporters in Gaza and described the ongoing deaths of Palestinian journalists as part of a strategy to suppress coverage of the war.
In a statement, the coalition said more than 250 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the start of Israel’s military campaign and called it the deadliest period for journalists in the 21st century.
The group said Israel has barred most international reporters from entering Gaza, leaving the task of documenting events to Palestinian journalists who continue to report under dangerous conditions.
“Without their voices, their eyes, their determination to inform, report and document the atrocities on the ground, the world would be blind to the full scale of Israel’s campaign against a besieged population,” reads the statement.
The coalition further called on the international community to impose sanctions on Israel.
“As Africans we know too well the ugly face of colonialism, occupation and apartheid,” reads the statement.
“Journalism is not a crime. Killing journalists is. We demand accountability and justice for our Palestinian colleagues.”
The AJAG intervention comes amid a surge in global concern about the plight of journalists in Gaza.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said at least 192 journalists and media workers have been killed since the conflict began, while Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate estimate the toll to be even higher.
A recent Associated Press investigation found that many of those killed died with their families in their homes, in vehicles marked “PRESS,” or while sheltering near hospitals.
Outrage has intensified this month following the killing of Al-Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif and four of his colleagues in a strike near al-Shifa Hospital.
His death drew widespread condemnation, with CPJ, RSF and several governments demanding independent investigations.
The strike was described as evidence that Israel was “wiping out the witnesses” to the war.
AJAG has urged national journalist associations, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and global press freedom organisations to amplify its campaign.
