In those forums, you will just see almost the same faces, every year ...
I heard people saying this: “In those forums, you will just see the same faces…”, but the most important question should be: “What has been my role in making those spaces matter most for the digital future we want for Africa ?”
Since FIFAFRICA2019, I have had the privilege of being part of almost all the editions that followed, online and physically…
But what has made it count?
It is crucial to acknowledge how discussions, formats and engagement methods have evolved, thanks to the tremendous work, innovative thinking teams behind these forums have been putting in.
Back in 2019, when the Forum headed to Ethiopia, I got the privilege of being introduced to the “ecosystem”, and my digital activism moved to another level after I discovered @GlobalVoices and met interesting people like Dr Nwatch, Amanda Lietchtein, and many more.
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| Photo : Fifafrica19 - Ethiopia |
With Global Voices, I got the privilege to write some pieces of stories questioning the new legislation that aimed to protect citizens’ digital rights in DRC following multiple violations of rights to freedom of expression, privacy, and internet shutdowns under a vague and outdated framework law from 2002 related to post and telecommunications that was governing the ICT sector.
I wrote another interesting article about a tax on mobile devices that was introduced by the Congolese government, but thank God, it was definitely suspended thanks to the implications of different activists in the country. Here you can read about the article :
It is always fun to travel to new countries, to meet old friends and make new ones, but how do we contribute to make the space “not look the same, with the same faces?”
Many things have happened since then: milestones achieved and lifetime lessons learned...
A glimpse into a much brighter digital future for Africa
My engagement and role in these forums shifted significantly when I decided to take actions that would challenge my thinking, push self-imposed barriers and, above all, help overcome the imposter syndrome…
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| Digital Rights Alliance Africa Members- FIFAFRICA23 |
A few months after formally re-starting Bingwa Civic Tech Lab in 2023 (founded in 2021) with my colleagues, my next FIFAFRICA23 seemed the most exciting and the most promising in terms of challenges to meet people and organisations to collaborate with and put in practice the “Think Globally, Act Locally” philosophy.
From forum's talks to community actions, Bingwa Civic Tech Lab has been a lever in addressing the most pressing digital issues in the community, particularly regarding : Digital Security for frontline defenders, Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence, Internet Shutdowns, Digital Public Infrastructure, Disinformation and Artificial Intelligence.
Learn more about our work here : https://bingwa-civic.tech
What It Meant to "Be the Experience" at FIFAfrica26
From September 28, to October 01 2026, I attended the 13th Edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa, in Mauritius, on behalf Bingwa Civic Tech Lab.
As a digital rights defender, this was an opportunity to learn from peers, support advocacy efforts, and other initiatives to open and free the internet across the African continent.
The 1st session I attended was about Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: Africa-Centered Data and Policy, hosted by the Association for Progressive Communications. This was an opportunity for me to share perspectives from the Democratic Republic of Congo on TFGBV, especially on awareness-raising, movement-building, and solidarity initiatives across the country.
I contributed to the discussions by sharing how TFGBV is shaping the political participation of women politicians and women human rights defenders in a region facing political turmoil and an ongoing cycle of violence.
It was important to demonstrate how TFGBV affects freedom of expression, especially when it is used as a weapon to silence dissenting voices.
I also shared the role my organization has played in building the capacity of women human rights defenders in digital security as a step toward addressing TFGBV.
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| TFGBV Session , by APC @ FIFAFRICA26 |
As part of the session related to Digital Public Infrastructure, hosted by ICNL and CIPESA, I had to learn more about the ongoing governmental initiatives to deploy DPI, but also the session provided a space for civil society with an opportunity to question states' readiness in implementing DPI projects across their respective countries.
The findings of the research conducted by the ICNL have led me to reflect on how systems for the mass collection of data have been implemented on a national scale in healthcare facilities, private schools, and public services—in the absence of appropriate legislative frameworks—as well as on how civil society can participate in the development and implementation of legislation.
As part of the Litigation Surgery on Internet Shutdown and Resisting Authoritarian Practices and Reclaiming Civic Space, I shared my personal experience as an activist from a country that recently ordered an Internet shutdown, but where, to date, no initiative has challenged this government decision in court.
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| Internet Shutdown Litigation Surgery - FIFAFRICA26 |
Since internet shutdowns are one of the tools used by authoritarian regimes, this provided an opportunity to examine how communities can resist these shutdowns and internet disruptions through strategic litigation, as well as through resilient mechanisms such as decentralised community networks, applications, and resilient virtual private networks (VPNs).
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| Picture - FIFAFRICA26 |
With my organization's work cutting across these key areas, It was an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to discussions towards ways of developing a common understanding and approaches to address issues within our respective communities.
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