From left to right: Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel laureate in economics; Jimmy "Spire" Ssentongo; Patrick Chappatte, president of the Foundation; Marie Heuzé, co-chair of the Foundation, holding a self-portrait of Safaa Odah, co-prizewinner who remains blocked in Gaza and was unable to attend the event; and Ken Roth, former director of Human Rights Watch and FCF Advisory Board member.
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the Cartoonists for Freedom Foundation, in partnership with the City of Geneva, pays tribute to the talent and courage of cartoonists working in difficult circumstances.
The Kofi Annan Award for Courage in Cartooning 2026, which recognises his outstanding contribution to human rights and freedom of expression, was presented on 4 May at a public ceremony at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, in the presence of Joseph Stiglitz, 2001 Nobel laureate in economics, former chief economist of the World Bank and professor at Columbia University.
The Kofi Annan Award for Courage in Cartooning has been awarded every two years since 2012 by the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation and the City of Geneva. In alternate years, the award is presented by the US-based partner organisation Cartoonists Rights.
Chaired by Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, the international jury decided to award the 2026 prize jointly to two laureates: Safaa Odah (Palestine), who was unable to attend the event and participated by videoconference, and Jimmy "Spire" Ssentongo (Uganda).
About Safra Odah
Safaa Odah (1984) is a Palestinian cartoonist and digital artist based in Gaza who discovered her passion for drawing while studying home economics and education at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza.
During her classes, she would catch herself scribbling with a pencil in the margins of her notebook as a way to pass the time. However, drawing was no more than a hobby and, after graduating, she sought work in her field of study. Unfortunately, he was unlucky due to the Israeli blockade of Gaza and became unemployed.
Surprisingly, the lack of employment left him more time to work on his drawings and hone his skills. In 2009, he decided to pursue art seriously. Later, she made the leap from traditional pencil and paper to using a drawing tablet to create digital art. Inspired by the art of fellow Palestinian cartoonists such as Naji al-Ali, Safaa also attempts to portray the human experience through art that critiques social norms and political decisions. Source: The Palestinian Return Centre.
Dafaa continues to draw in extremely difficult conditions, using whatever medium she can muster - for example, drawing on the plastic sheeting that serves as a tent for her family - and posting them on social media.
Jimmy "Spire" Ssentongo
Jimmy "Spire" Ssentongo (b. 1979) is an award-winning Ugandan academic, columnist, portraitist and self-taught cartoonist. He has worked for, among others, the Ugandan newspaper The Observer since 2006. A Doctor of Philosophy, he is a former Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Uganda Martyrs' University.
Spire, a frequent target of harassment, has been in the crosshairs of the authorities since the 2020 pandemic. In March 2024, he received death threats after launching an anti-corruption campaign on X - #UgandaParliamentExhibition- calling for parliament to be held accountable.
Spire's humour and critical and analytical spirit broaden the scope of his cartoons, which have become popular and viral. The Ugandan intellectual uses them to expose corruption, institutional abuses and excesses of power.
A victim of online harassment, he kept a low profile for a long time. In January 2026, he temporarily took refuge in Belgium to escape the mounting pressure ahead of the presidential elections.
Humour in trouble, a collection of cases
Cases of cartoonists who have had problems of some importance because of their cartoons or satirical illustrations. There are also some stories of other people who, without being cartoonists, have got into trouble for sharing them.
