The article examines the severe decline in press freedom across West Africa, highlighted by the 2025 RSF Press Freedom Index. Eleven of the region’s sixteen countries fell in the ranking, with dramatic drops in Guinea (-31 positions), Burkina Faso (-19), and Guinea-Bissau (-18). This regression reflects a shrinking civic space driven by military regimes, media suspensions, arrests of journalists, and state propaganda. Even countries without constitutional breakdowns, such as Senegal and Benin, face major challenges—economic collapse of the media sector in Senegal and restrictive digital legislation in Benin. In this context, organizations like the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) have become essential, providing training, protection, and visibility to journalists through initiatives such as WAMECA 2025. The article also warns about the surge of disinformation campaigns targeting the region and stresses the importance of public digital infrastructures to maintain a democratic, open, and reliable information space.

State, Democracy, Liberté de presse, Disinformation

The Media Foundation for West Africa report, published in December 2022, examines the evolution of press freedom in Mauritania in 2021. Following the election of President Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani in 2019, a democratic opening was initiated, including a national dialogue. However, private media, which appeared in 1990, continue to face major challenges. Although the decriminalization of press offenses in 2006 was a step forward, ambiguous laws still allow for censorship and harsh sanctions. The High Authority for the Press and Audiovisual (HAPA), created to regulate the sector, is often perceived as lacking independence. The absence of a specific law on access to information complicates the work of journalists, while public media remain biased in favor of the government. In 2021, the rise of social media provided new platforms for expression, but also led to attempts at state control.

Information, Réseaux sociaux, Liberté de presse