Philip Obaji

In the last seven years, Philip Obaji has documented up to 100 human rights abuses and exploitation by Russian paramilitaries deployed in West and Central Africa. He has investigated and reported gut-wrenching massacres, rape, torture and oppression of vulnerable villagers by mercenaries from the Wagner Group and its successor, the Africa Corps, in the Central African Republic (CAR) and in Mali, despite threats in an incredibly risky context including being held hostage by CAR rebels and detained by CAR soldiers who tortured him on the orders of Russian paramilitaries. Obaji, whose investigative work has been published by some of the world’s most authoritative media outlets, has received several recognitions for his work, including winning the 2022 Jaime Brunet International Human Rights Prize, the 2023 One World Media International Journalist of the Year award, the 2024 Homo Homini award, and the 2025 Knight International Journalism Award.