Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2018 ends

The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2018 (FIFAfrica18) has ended in Accra, with a call for greater internet freedom.

Mr Sulemana Braimah, the Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in his closing remarks said the internet had to create the possibility for people to have their voices heard and to hold duty bearers accountable.

“If we want our governments to response to what we want, we need to continue to knock at their doors. We need to continue to make the noise and make sure that the internet becomes as free as possible and an enabler that allows us to assess ourselves and support the development of our society,”

Mr Braimah further commended the Collaboration for International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and MFWA for the successful organisation of the Accra meeting.

The three-day meeting was organised by the Collaboration for International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), in partnership with the MFWA.

The Forum is a landmark event that convenes various stakeholders from the internet governance and online rights arenas in Africa and beyond to deliberate on gaps, concerns and opportunities for advancing privacy, access to information, free expression, non-discrimination and the free flow of information online on the continent.

Since inception, FIFAfrica has also served as a platform to mark the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).

Engagements at the Forum, which was attended by over 360 participants from 47 countries across the African continent and beyond, aims to reflect current trends and concerns in access and usage of the internet and related technologies on the continent.

The forum was under the auspices of organisations such as UNESCO, the Ford Foundation, Facebook and Google.

Source: GNA