Malabo Convention
| Year dem found am | 2011  |
|---|---|
| Continent | Africa |
| Dey apply to jurisdiction | Africa |
| Publication date | 27 June 2025 |
| Work available at URL | https://www.afapdp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CONV-UA-CYBER-PDP-2014.pdf |
| Effective date | 2023 |
De African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection dem san know am as de Malabo Convention be 2014 legal framework wey dem adopt am by de African Union (AU) say ego address cybercrime den data protection insyd Africa.[1][2]
Contents
[edit | edit source]Dem divide de Malabo Convention into three main chapters:[1]
Electronic transactions chapter
[edit | edit source]De Convention outlines unify guidelines den regulations for different aspects of e-commerce, such as online advertising, de legal recognition for electronic contracts, den securing electronic payment systems.[1]
Data protection chapter
[edit | edit source]De Malabo Convention dey require all member states say dem go develop demma comprehensive data protection framework. As outlined insyd Article 8(1), it
aimed at strengthening fundamental rights and public freedoms, particularly the protection of physical data, and to punish any violation of privacy without prejudice to the principle of the free flow of information.
— The African Union, African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, Article 8(1)
Also, Articles 11, 13, den 16 to 19 further specify that dis framework must be overseen by a national data protection authority (DPA), wey efor operate independently den be responsible for ensuring say personal data processing dem go properly regulate am. De national framework must reflect essential data protection standards—such as obtaining consent, ensuring legality, maintaining confidentiality, den promoting transparency—wey esan guarantee individuals specific rights over demma personal information.[1]
Cybersecurity den cybercrime chapter
[edit | edit source]De Malabo Convention criminalise different cyber activities den obliges each member state say ego create national cybersecurity policy den strategy. Esan dey call for de formation for relevant institutions den mechanisms to detect den address cybersecurity threats, uphold key cybersecurity values, den foster international collaboration. Regarding cybercrime, de Convention wey dey urge states to enact national laws den regulations wey dey criminalize “acts wey dey affect de confidentiality, integrity, availability den survival of information den communication technology systems, de data dey process, den de underlying network infrastructure.[2][1]
History
[edit | edit source]De African Union come introduce de convention insyd 2011 wey dey aim say ego creating a trustworthy cybersecurity structure across de continent. Ein objectives dey include regulating electronic transactions, safeguarding personal information, enhancing cybersecurity, encouraging e-governance, den addressing cybercrime.[3] De adoption for de convention wey dem postpone am on several times until 2014 wey dem adopt am for ein 23 Ordinary Session for Malabo insyd Equatorial Guinea.[3] However, eno dey come into implementation sake of de Article 36 wey edey show say de treaty wey ego come to force upon de ratification for at least 15-member nation for de African Union.[4][5]
Implementation
[edit | edit source]On 8 of June 2023, de Malabo Convention come into effect 30 days after dem ratify am on Mauritania as de 15 member nation to wey ego fulfill de Article 36 for de Malabo Convention.[4]
Insyd Sudan
[edit | edit source]Sudan come sign de Malabo Convention on 15 March 2023, during de African Union Summit insyd Addis Ababa. De convention wey dem sign am by de den-acting Minister of Telecommunications den Digital Transformation, Adel Hassan Mohamed Al-Hussein, insyd de presence for officials from de AU Commission den Sudan ein regulatory authority. However, de country bi yet say ego ratify de convention.[6][7]
List of signatories den ratified countries
[edit | edit source]Below be de list of countries wey dem sign am den ratify de African Union (AU) Convention on Cyber Security den Personal Data Protection.[8]
| No. | Country | Date of Signature | Date of Ratification/Accession | Date Deposited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algeria | – | – | – |
| 2 | Angola | – | 21/02/2020 | 11/05/2020 |
| 3 | Benin | 28/01/2015 | – | – |
| 4 | Botswana | – | – | – |
| 5 | Burkina Faso | – | – | – |
| 6 | Burundi | – | – | – |
| 7 | Cameroon | 12/08/2021 | – | – |
| 8 | Central African Republic | – | – | – |
| 9 | Cape Verde | – | 13/11/2020 | 05/02/2022 |
| 10 | Chad | 14/06/2015 | – | – |
| 11 | Côte d’Ivoire | – | 08/03/2023 | 03/04/2023 |
| 12 | Comoros | 29/01/2018 | – | – |
| 13 | Republic of the Congo | 12/06/2015 | 24/09/2020 | 23/10/2020 |
| 14 | Djibouti | 12/05/2023 | – | – |
| 15 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | – | – | – |
| 16 | Egypt | – | – | – |
| 17 | Equatorial Guinea | – | – | – |
| 18 | Eritrea | – | – | – |
| 19 | Ethiopia | – | – | – |
| 20 | Gabon | – | – | – |
| 21 | Gambia | 02/12/2022 | – | – |
| 22 | Ghana | 04/07/2017 | 13/05/2019 | 03/06/2019 |
| 23 | Guinea-Bissau | 31/01/2015 | – | – |
| 24 | Guinea | – | 31/07/2018 | 16/10/2018 |
| 25 | Kenya | – | – | – |
| 26 | Libya | – | – | – |
| 27 | Lesotho | 30/11/2023 | – | – |
| 28 | Liberia | – | – | – |
| 29 | Madagascar | – | – | – |
| 30 | Mali | – | – | – |
| 31 | Malawi | – | – | – |
| 32 | Morocco | – | – | – |
| 33 | Mozambique | 29/06/2018 | 02/12/2019 | 21/01/2020 |
| 34 | Mauritania | 26/02/2015 | 19/04/2023 | 09/05/2023 |
| 35 | Mauritius | – | 06/03/2018 | 14/03/2018 |
| 36 | Namibia | – | 25/01/2019 | 01/02/2019 |
| 37 | Nigeria | 23/01/2024 | – | – |
| 38 | Niger | – | 22/02/2022 | 16/03/2022 |
| 39 | Rwanda | 16/04/2019 | 14/11/2019 | 21/11/2019 |
| 40 | South Africa | 16/02/2023 | – | – |
| 41 | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | – | – | – |
| 42 | Senegal | – | 03/08/2016 | 16/08/2016 |
| 43 | Seychelles | – | – | – |
| 44 | Sierra Leone | 29/01/2016 | – | – |
| 45 | Somalia | – | – | – |
| 46 | South Sudan | – | – | – |
| 47 | Sao Tome and Principe | 29/01/2016 | 25/09/2023 | 15/02/2024 |
| 48 | Sudan | 15/03/2023 | – | – |
| 49 | Eswatini | – | – | – |
| 50 | Tanzania | – | – | – |
| 51 | Togo | 02/04/2019 | 30/09/2021 | 19/10/2021 |
| 52 | Tunisia | 23/04/2019 | – | – |
| 53 | Uganda | – | – | – |
| 54 | Zambia | 29/01/2016 | 15/12/2020 | 24/03/2021 |
| 55 | Zimbabwe | – | – | – |
References
[edit | edit source]- 1 2 3 4 5 "THE MALABO ROADMAP: Approaches to promote data protection and data governance in Africa" (PDF). Mozilla Africa Mradi.
- 1 2 Sheik, Shamaa (2023-04-24). "AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection | Malabo Convention". Michalsons (in British English). Retrieved 2025-06-22.
- 1 2 "CCDCOE". ccdcoe.org. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
- 1 2 "What is the Malabo convention? - Diplo" (in British English). 2025-01-29. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
- ↑ "African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection | African Union". au.int. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
- ↑ "وكالة السودان للأنباء - سونا | السودان يوقع على اتفاقية الاتحاد الافريقي للأمن السيبراني وحماية البيانات الشخصية". موقع نبض. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection | Digital Watch Observatory" (in American English). Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ↑ "LIST OF COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE SIGNED, RATIFIED/ACCEDED TO THE AFRICAN UNION CONVENTION ON CYBER SECURITY AND PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION" (PDF). African Union.