The Integrated Refugee Organization (IRO), in partnership with the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), successfully facilitated a three-day intensive training on Digital Security and Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) for Congolese human rights defenders and journalists operating in exile.
Held from 18–20 May 2026 in Kampala, the workshop brought together 23 participants representing women’s rights organizations, community documentation initiatives, media organizations, justice and accountability groups, and grassroots human rights organizations from Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The training responded to the growing digital and physical risks faced by defenders documenting human rights violations amid ongoing conflict and repression.
Responding to an increasingly complex digital threat landscape
Human rights defenders and journalists from Eastern DRC continue to operate in one of the most dangerous environments in the region. Many participants reported experiencing account compromises, phishing attacks, surveillance, impersonation, confiscation of digital devices, and coordinated disinformation campaigns targeting both local and diaspora communities.
A pre-training assessment revealed that one-third of participants had never previously received formal digital security training, despite routinely handling sensitive information and documenting serious human rights abuses. This finding reinforced the urgent need to strengthen practical digital resilience before introducing advanced documentation and verification techniques.
The workshop therefore emphasized practical, context-specific digital security skills that participants could immediately integrate into their daily work.
Practical digital security for Human Rights Defenders
Facilitated by Donatien Niyongendako, Executive Director of IRO and an experienced digital security trainer, the workshop combined presentations, live demonstrations, peer learning, and extensive hands-on practical exercises.
Participants strengthened their understanding of:
- How the internet works and where digital vulnerabilities emerge;
- Password management and account security;
- Two-factor authentication (2FA);
- Phishing recognition and social engineering attacks;
- Safe browsing practices;
- VPNs, Tor Browser, and Orbot for enhanced online privacy;
- Secure communication and protection of sensitive information.
Rather than overwhelming participants with numerous applications, the training focused on helping defenders understand how commonly used tools function, how attackers exploit weaknesses, and how simple changes in digital habits can significantly reduce risk.
Participants installed and configured privacy-enhancing technologies directly on their own devices, allowing them to leave the workshop with practical skills they could immediately apply and share within their organizations.
Strengthening verification and secure documentation
Building on digital security foundations, the workshop introduced participants to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) techniques designed to improve the credibility, reliability, and evidentiary value of human rights documentation.
Participants received practical training on:
- Reverse image verification to detect recycled or manipulated content;
- Metadata analysis using ExifTool;
- Verification of online videos using the InVID-WeVerify plugin;
- Fact-checking methodologies;
- Ethical verification practices for conflict-related information.
A dedicated session focused on eyeWitness to Atrocities, a secure documentation application that embeds metadata into photographs and videos while maintaining evidentiary integrity for future accountability processes.
Participants also explored secure data collection using KoBoToolbox, where IRO demonstrated its own Anonymous Human Rights Violations Reporting System, illustrating how digital tools can strengthen secure reporting, field documentation, and evidence management in challenging operating environments.
The workshop further introduced participants to Uwazi, an open-source platform widely used for organizing, preserving, and analyzing human rights documentation.
Measuring impact
The training produced measurable improvements in participants’ knowledge, confidence, and practical skills.
Analysis of participants who completed both pre- and post-training assessments showed an increase in overall capacity from 2.27 to 3.69 on a five-point scale, reflecting significant gains in digital security awareness and the practical application of verification tools.
Participants successfully:
- Installed and configured Tor and Orbot;
- Practiced secure communication techniques;
- Conducted reverse image searches;
- Performed metadata analysis using ExifTool;
- Verified online videos with InVID-WeVerify;
- Learned secure evidence collection using eyeWitness to Atrocities;
- Explored secure digital reporting through IRO’s KoBoToolbox-based reporting platform.
Feedback from participants highlighted the workshop’s highly practical methodology, contextualized examples from Eastern DRC, and immediate relevance to their daily human rights work.
Building long-term digital resilience
Recognizing that sustainable digital security requires continued learning, the workshop adopted a Training of Trainers (ToT) approach, encouraging participants to transfer acquired knowledge to colleagues, partner organizations, and communities.
Participants committed to:
- Strengthening password and account security;
- Using secure communication platforms;
- Applying verification techniques before sharing online information;
- Improving evidence preservation practices;
- Supporting peers in adopting safer digital practices.
The training also highlighted the importance of continued mentoring, advanced practical learning, and ongoing technical support to address the rapidly evolving digital threat landscape facing defenders in exile.
IRO’s commitment
At the Integrated Refugee Organization, we believe that effective human rights work increasingly depends on strong digital resilience. As surveillance technologies evolve and online attacks become more sophisticated, defenders require practical, accessible, and context-driven support to continue documenting violations safely and effectively.
This workshop reflects IRO’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the digital resilience of refugee and exiled human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society organizations across East Africa through training, mentoring, secure reporting systems, digital security helplines, and technical assistance.
We are proud to have partnered with OMCT and CIPESA in advancing safer digital practices for Congolese human rights defenders and remain committed to supporting organizations working at the frontline of human rights protection in increasingly complex digital environments.
Together, we are building stronger, safer, and more resilient human rights communities: one defender, one organization, and one secure digital practice at a time.
