Malabo at 10: Reflections on the Convention vis-a-vis Human Rights in Africa 10 Years Later

The African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Protection of Personal Information was adopted in 2014 to address the need for harmonized cybersecurity legislation in Africa. Since its adoption, several countries have enacted cybersecurity and cybercrime laws and policies, and these laws have also become tools for authoritarian governments to undermine fundamental rights and restrict the work of journalists and civic society. Despite its adoption in 2014, the Convention only came into force in 2023. This creates an opportune moment to reflect on the principles of the Malabo Convention and how it can be improved to ensure it serves as a good model for domestic cybercrime laws, and leveraged as a regional tool for cybersecurity while also respecting and enabling human rights.