President John Dramani Mahama has called on African leaders to put in place strong, legally binding laws to protect press freedom, civic space, and the fundamental rights of citizens across the continent.
Addressing participants at the African Union High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights on Tuesday July 29, 2025, President Mahama stressed that democracy cannot flourish in an environment where people live in fear, are repressed, or are excluded from decision-making processes.
“The legitimacy of our governments depends on the inclusion of all our people. Governments must exist for all our people and not just a few.”
Mahama emphasized the urgent need to protect the rights of citizens to protest, participate in governance, and freely express themselves, especially the voices of women, young people, and marginalized communities who are often left out of key conversations.
“Secondly, I urge this dialogue to take a firm stand on the need for legally binding frameworks across all member states to safeguard our civic space,” he said.
“We must protect the rights organized to protest and participate. We must preserve the freedom of the press, the voices of the youth and our women, and marginalized groups must be heard and protected.”
The President noted that without such protections, the democratic gains many African countries have made risk being reversed.
He called on the African Union and its member states to act urgently and collectively to create safe spaces for civic engagement and political participation.
President Mahama’s call serves as a timely reminder that sustainable democracy relies on inclusion, transparency, and accountability and that the protection of civic rights must remain a top priority for African leaders.
