The Whistleblowers, Activists and Journalists Safety International Centre, WAJSIC, has launched a new report examining press freedom, journalist safety, and the changing media landscape in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The report, titled The Sahel: The State of the Media 2025 – 2026, provides a comprehensive assessment of the media environment across the three member states of the Alliance of Sahel States,( AES).

According to a press release issued by WAJSIC in Accra on Tuesday, the report was produced in collaboration with professional journalists from Sahel Horizon and is based on documentary analysis.

WAJSIC says the report examined the legal, political, economic and security factors reshaping journalism in the Central Sahel.

It found an increasing use of legal restrictions, administrative sanctions, digital surveillance, economic pressure and intimidation against media practitioners in the three countries.

The report also highlights the growing difficulties encountered by journalists operating in exile, the weakening of independent professional institutions, and the transformation of the regional information ecosystem.

Despite these challenges, WAJSIC documents the resilience of journalists who continue to provide independent, public-interest reporting under increasingly difficult conditions.

On 28th July 2026, WAJSIC made a wider release on its official website and the Sahel Horizon website.
It called on media organizations, policymakers, development partners and press freedom advocates to support efforts aimed at protecting journalists and promoting independent journalism across the region.

WAJSIC was founded in 2021 in Ghana by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The Centre provides protection and support to journalists, whistleblowers, human rights defenders, and anti-corruption actors facing prosecution, intimidation and security threats across Africa and the Sahel.

Its interventions include emergency relocation, safe accommodation, legal assistance, psychosocial support, digital security and reintegration assistance for at-risk media professionals.