Dear Colleagues and Friends,
As we close our year’s work at DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders, it is my traditional honor to invite you to join me as we reflect on our year’s work, as valued partners in a common pursuit to ensure a safer working environment for human rights defenders (HRDs) across Africa.
I look back on a year defined by deep reflection, renewed purpose, and meaningful celebration. This was a landmark year for DefendDefenders, as we marked two decades of steadfast commitment to protecting and advancing the work of human rights defenders across Africa. Reaching our 20-year milestone offered us not only a moment to honour how far we have come, but also to reaffirm the values and vision that continue to guide our mission. Our 20-year reflection on defending HRDs culminated in a two-day convention held on 4 and 5 November in Kampala, Uganda, where over 200 HRDs across the African continent gathered to celebrate, learn, and envision the future of the human rights movement alongside Special mandate holders at the regional and international levels. As part of the celebration, we convened a high-level panel discussion with global human rights champions, activists, and policymakers under the theme “Standing Strong: Reimagining Safety and Solidarity for Human Rights Defenders in Shifting Global Ecosystems.” The panel discussion was broadcast live on NTV Uganda, amplifying this critical conversation to a wider national and regional audience.
Over the past twenty years, we have provided emergency protection support to 10,315 HRDs with 9,433 family members benefiting from this support, relocated 657 HRDs through the Ubuntu Hub Cities initiative (UHC), and trained 10,000 HRDs through nearly five thousand sessions spanning digital safety, physical security, risk management, advocacy, wellbeing, and monitoring, documenting and reporting human rights violations. We have strengthened sub-regional networks, national coalitions, and grassroots organisations; engaged consistently in high-level advocacy at regional and international mechanisms; produced research publications; supported strategic litigation efforts; and amplified the visibility of hundreds of HRDs through awards and profiles. Yet beyond these numbers lie human faces — the true measure of our impact. The HRDs we serve are not statistics; they are individuals whose courage animates and sustains our work.
Against the backdrop of a shrinking civic space, the situation of HRDs remained of grave concern throughout 2025. This year, DefendDefenders received a total of 993 requests for protection interventions over 11 months. Applications were received from HRDs across the continent, those in crisis contexts and those forced into exile. Of those received, 379 were supported directly and 239 were referred to partner organisations for interventions. Under the UHC, AfricanDefenders provided support to 115 HRDs.
Further, during 2025, there were enhanced engagements with organisations and networks working to protect HRDs to ensure comprehensive approach in addressing their needs. Some of the networks DefendDefenders engaged with include the Bridging Response Together Network, Journalists is Distress Network, ProtectDefenders.eu and the Weaving Resilience Community. Engaging with these networks ensures collective action for at risk HRDs and shared learnings. During the year, there were eight assessment missions conducted in distinct parts of the continent to meet with HRDs, understand their working context and their needs which enabled us to tailor our engagements to address the emerging needs.
As part of our shared commitment to strengthening human rights protection across the continent, DefendDefenders continues to host and coordinate the Consortium for Human Rights and Media Freedom (CHARM), implemented together with CIVICUS, Civil Rights Defenders, Fojo Media Institute, Magamba Network, Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD), and Wits Journalism. Over the past year, CHARM has demonstrated the value of collective, African-led action by advancing protection for human rights defenders, expanding civic space, strengthening media freedom, and amplifying feminist, youth, and climate justice voices across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the context of increasing repression and shrinking space, the Consortium enabled partners and communities to move beyond isolated responses toward coordinated advocacy, practical protection, and sustained impact, reaffirming that partnership, solidarity, and long-term investment remain essential to defending rights and democratic values.
This year, DefendersTech significantly strengthened protection for HRDs, journalists, artists, and advocates across Africa through 16 intensive trainings that equipped over 227 participants with essential digital and physical security skills, including specialised sessions for Francophone HRDs, Safe Sister fellows in Kampala, Ttaala artists in Abuja, and journalists in Hoima, Jinja, and Kampala. The team also conducted six SAFETAG audits and delivered regional risk and security assessments for 23 media houses and organisations translating vulnerabilities into practical improvements. Internationally, DefendersTech provided expertise and on-site support at key global forums such as RightsCon in Taipei, DRIF25 in Lusaka, FIFAfrica in Namibia, the Open Africa Data Summit in Zimbabwe, and the Global Gathering in Portugal, contributing to a more resilient regional ecosystem and ensuring African perspectives continue to shape global digital rights conversations.
Throughout 2025, DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders sustained strong advocacy at both the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), ensuring that HRDs continued to access and influence these spaces. At the HRC, we continued to make sure that the voices of HRDs are considered by international bodies despite the challenging context marked by the UN’s financial crisis and attacks against multilateralism. Across all three ordinary sessions, we raised urgent concerns on the human rights situation in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Eritrea, Sudan, and Burundi, and advanced coordinated civil society advocacy, including engagement with HRDs and sustained lobbying, which contributed to strong resolutions and the renewal of key mandates.
At the ACHPR’s two public sessions, we continued to elevate country-specific issues in Sudan, Burundi, South Sudan, Tunisia, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside thematic priorities such as conflict, elections, and artists and cultural rights. Notably, Sudan’s plight gained increasing recognition at both mechanisms, reflecting the impact of sustained and coordinated advocacy throughout the year.
On a special note, it was encouraging to see the Human Rights Council heed our call, and that of civil society, by convening a special session on 14 November to address the situation in and around El Fasher. It showed that the world is attentive to the cry of the people of Sudan. We issued a press release welcoming the international spotlight on El Fasher atrocities but urged the UN to allocate more resources to the Fact-Finding Mission( FFM) for Sudan and continued attention to violations by all parties to the conflict, with accountability at the centre of global efforts to stop the violence in Sudan.
Our advocacy extended to the digital space, where our social media platforms recorded tremendous growth this year, reaching wider audiences and amplifying our mission. We gained a total of 4,777 new followers across all platforms. X led with 2,057 new followers, followed by LinkedIn with 1059, Meta with 1,340, and Instagram with 321. This steady growth reflects the increasing engagement and reach of our online platforms, strengthening our connection with audiences and amplifying our mission.
Throughout the year, we complemented our advocacy with digital campaigns that highlighted key themes and amplified the voices of HRDs. In March, we ran our annual #SheDefends campaign in celebration of Women’s Month. This was followed by the #HRDsWellbeing campaign, which focused on anxiety and other mental health challenges faced by HRDs due to the high-risk environments in which they work. We also celebrated our two-decade journey of protecting HRDs since 2005 through the #20YearsDefending campaign, highlighting our milestones and impact over the years. We concluded the year by joining the global commemoration of the #16DaysOfActivism against gender-based violence, which focused on technology-facilitated violence against women human rights defenders, emphasising how they can protect themselves and how everyone has a responsibility to make digital platforms safe for them.
For nine months, DefendDefenders Advocacy and Research team, in collaboration with AfricanDefenders, conducted extensive continent-wide research on the right to protest in Africa. This work culminated in the launch of a landmark report, They Won’t Silence the People. The report examines peaceful protest as a tool for democratic participation, analyses applicable international and African human rights standards, and explores emerging trends, while providing in-depth comparative assessments of Mozambique, Senegal, Tunisia, and Uganda, highlighting both patterns of violations and examples of good practice.
We wrapped up the year with celebrations commemorating International Human Rights Defenders Day, commemorated under the theme “Protecting the Protectors: The Urgent Need for State Support for HRDs,” a message that is not merely a slogan but a call to action. We marked the day in solidarity with exiled HRDs, celebrating their courage to flee their home countries for defending human rights. We celebrated their resilience, the growing networks of solidarity, and the victories achieved even from afar, reaffirming that they are not alone. I believe now more than ever the celebration must lead to commitment: HRDs need not just applause, they need protection, resources, and sustained support to continue their work effectively. Governments must act, institutions must step up, and civil society must unite.
As 2025 ends, we will also be concluding our 2021–2025 strategy, Enhancing the Safety and Capacity of HRDs in the Region for Greater Resilience and the Effective Fulfilment of Their Mandates. I am delighted with the progress made in implementing this strategic plan, which has strengthened our ability to protect and promote the work of HRDs across the continent. I extend my sincere appreciation to the entire DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders team, whose commitment and hard work made this progress possible. As we enter the new year, we will start implementing our new 2026–2030 strategy, Beyond Resilience, which builds on our achievements and sets a bold direction for the years ahead.
On behalf of my team, I appreciate all the support towards fulfilling our crucial mandate. For more detailed information, please visit our website and social media platforms. I wish you joyful holiday festivities.
Our office will be closed on 19 December for the holidays and will reopen on 6 January 2026, but our emergency line +256 707020086 for HRDs at risk and [email protected] will remain operational throughout the holidays.
Hassan Shire,
Executive Director, DefendDefenders
Chairperson, AfricanDefenders.