By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider

The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) held a webinar discussing themes surrounding “Investigating the Revolutionary and Military Regimes” yesterday. 

During the COVID19 era, seven military coups and takeovers have been experienced in several countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Mali, Chad, and Gabon, which has created a realization of a military control within African countries. 

With this new resurgence of military rule in Africa, there is a need for “watchdog journalism” when it comes to keeping a watchful eye on these military led states in order to keep the sanctity of these leaderships.

 The webinar aims at equipping journalists with the tools and resources which would help them have the ability to scrutinize the political actions or agendas of these military regimes in Africa. 

The webinar which was led by four established investigative journalists such as; Justin Yargo, an investigative reporter from Burkina Faso who co-wrote the expose’ “Africa’s Ghost Reporters” for Al Jazeera, Khadije Sharife, a GIJN board member and investigative journalist, Samuel Baker Byansi, who co-founded M28 investigates and his also exiled from his home country Rwanda and David Dembele, an investigative journalist from Mali who is also currently in exile. 

“These challenges we journalists meet in the context of ‘Rwanda Classifies’, the challenges we met while trying to compile this project, was that it is very difficult to verify information, speed by which we can obtain information is very low and it is difficult in assessing context, culture and atmosphere.” said Samuel Baker Byansi in context to the piece he wrote exposing the Rwandan government within the Forbidden Stories Investigation.

The work of investigative journalism is being put at the forefront, especially when it comes to holding bureaucrats accountable, this webinar speaks to this very bravery, giving the people insight into the dealings of their country’s leadership.