Zambia Cancels RightsCon 2026 Days Before Start, Triggers Global Backlash Over Human Rights and Tech Freedom
Zambia has abruptly cancelled RightsCon 2026, the world’s largest conference focused on human rights and technology, only days before thousands of delegates were expected to gather in Lusaka. The decision has sparked outrage across Africa and beyond, with critics accusing the government of censorship and intolerance toward open debate.
The summit, scheduled for May 5 to May 8 in Zambia’s capital city, was set to attract more than 2,600 activists, policymakers, academics, and technology leaders from around the world. Participants planned to discuss urgent issues such as artificial intelligence, internet shutdowns, surveillance, online hate speech, digital repression, and misinformation.
However, Zambia’s Ministry of Information and Media announced that the event would no longer proceed. Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana said officials needed more time to ensure the conference aligned with Zambia’s national values, policy priorities, and public interest.
That explanation has failed to calm criticism.
Human rights advocates say the cancellation sends a dangerous message at a time when freedom of expression is under pressure across many African nations. Several campaigners described the move as a direct attack on civic space and democratic engagement.
Prominent Zambian lawyer and civil society leader Linda Kasonde said the decision reflects a steady erosion of democratic freedoms. According to her, many expected the current administration to strengthen rule of law, yet recent developments suggest the opposite.
She also linked the decision to Zambia’s upcoming August 2026 general elections. Political tensions have risen in recent months, while opposition groups and civic organisations have reportedly faced increasing restrictions on public gatherings.
The cancellation also damages Zambia’s international image. RightsCon 2026 marked the first time the global event would take place in Southern Africa, creating a major opportunity to showcase Zambia and the wider region as a hub for innovation, dialogue, and democratic progress.
Instead, many international observers now view the country through the lens of political control and shrinking freedoms.
RightsCon organiser Access Now, a New York-based digital rights organisation, said it spent months working with Zambian authorities to ensure transparency and cooperation. The group condemned the government’s last-minute decision and described it as an alarming example of transnational repression targeting civil society.
For many delegates, the fallout is personal and financial.
Travellers from across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas had already secured visas, booked flights, and paid for hotels. Karna Kone from Côte d’Ivoire said attending the summit required months of planning and significant expense, making the sudden cancellation both costly and frustrating.
Nigerian technology advocate Chioma Agwuegbo, director of TechHer, said RightsCon offered one of the few spaces where African innovators and rights defenders could build real solutions to urgent digital challenges.
She warned that when governments weaponise regulations to block dialogue, they silence voices and weaken systems designed to protect women, girls, and vulnerable communities online.
The summit also planned major discussions around sexual and reproductive health rights, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and online safety. Many campaigners now fear those already pushed to the margins will lose one of their most important global platforms.
Analysts say the Zambia RightsCon controversy could have long-term consequences. It may discourage future global conferences from choosing the country as a host destination and raise new questions about democracy, investor confidence, and freedom in the region.
As backlash intensifies, Zambia now faces a difficult challenge: restoring trust while explaining why one of the world’s most influential rights gatherings was stopped at the final hour.
