The Launch of AU Media Fellowship 3.0, supported by the EU
The group of 22 journalists and content producers from all over Africa had the opportunity to engage directly with different AU organs, AU institutions and key partners, to deepen understanding of their work and their contribution to implement Agenda 2063. On March 16, they actively participated in an interactive session with the European Union. This included a presentation on EU media resources, its strong support to freedom of press and to fighting disinformation by Strategic Communication and Political Officer, Rita Fortunato Baptista, followed by thematic conversations with Political and Policy Officers from the EU Delegation to the AU, discussing the unique and wide AU-EU partnership, the outcomes of the AU-EU Summit in 2025 and its concrete deliverables on Agricultural Development & Environment Management; Economic Development and Regional Integration; Emerging Economic Sectors such as Sports & Creative Industries; Infrastructure, Technology & Digital Innovation; Promoting Good Governance and Peace & Security; and Promoting Africa's Public Health Systems. Deputy Head of Finnish Embassy in Addis Ababa, Pirjo-Liisa Heikkilä, introduced the Media Freedom Coalition, currently co-chaired by Finland, and representatives of the EU Delegation to Ethiopia and various EU Member States based in Addis Ababa exchanged with the Fellows in a speed dating format.
EU
At the closing session of the visit, Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission, motivated Fellows to report on positive and complete African stories, as media is a strategic partner to the development of the continent. She congratulated the AUC and partners, such as the EU, for developing together this initiative and encouraged them to continue.
Over the 16-month programme, Fellows will collaborate across borders, receive training and structured mentorship to deliver evidence-based and solutions-driven stories. To further these goals, the EU has committed to hosting thematic workshops and a study tour to the EU institutions, in Brussels, in June 2026, following a successful initiation of the alumni network in January 2026. The AUMF encourages Fellows to connect continental policies with the everyday aspirations of citizens, ensuring that the "collective memory" of the continent is shaped by those who live its realities.
AU
The AUMF is flagship initiative of the AU Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), supported by GIZ AU Office on behalf of Germany, through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union (EU), via the EU Delegation to the African Union and, in this cohort, the Africa CDC. This cohort joins the AUMF alumni network of 60 journalists and content creators from across Africa working in audio-visual, print, and digital media. The Cohort 3.0 AU Fellows, selected from a record number of over 100,000 applicants, are: Abdillah Kemba (Comoros), Anis Seif Eddine Belmili (Algeria), Ayele Addis Ambelu (Ethiopia), Bongekile Filana (South Africa), Cynthia Areh (Nigeria), Elvy Gotiene (Congo), Emmanuel Ibukun Akindubuwa (Nigeria), Esther Ewune Otto (Cameroon), Isatou Keita (Gambia), Jacky Habib (Egypt), Justina Matandiko (Zambia), Lalaina Randriarimanana (Madagascar), Lourdes Walusala (Kenya), Mamer Abraham Kuot (South Sudan), Mapule Motsopa (Lesotho), Michael Dewornu (Ghana), Oussama Othman (Tunisia), Salome Gregory (Tanzania), Tawanda Forgive Dube (Zimbabwe), Tina Mehnpaine (Liberia), Tizita Girma (Ethiopia), Zodidi Mhlana (South Africa).
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