Ndarama Assoumani is an editorial cartoonist in Rwanda. Like many other governments around the world, the president and ruling party in Rwanda do not like to be criticized. We talk to Ndarama about his work and the dangers he encounters.

What sort of threats do you face as an editorial cartoonist in Rwanda?

To answer this, we need to look at the history of Rwanda before the genocide against the Tutsis in 1994. The most popular newspaper at that time, Kangura, used satire cartoons to stereotype the (Tutsi) enemies, many of them politicians. Reports and testimonies after the genocide mentioned the cartoons as propaganda tools used to serve the perpetrators of the genocide. I'm apart from the ideology of genocide; I draw on justice and peace. It is a shame that cartoons in Rwanda are still seen in the light of the genocide. Can you imagine if someone asked me "Do you want to restore Kangura?" That would mean creating divisions between people again.

I have received several anonymous calls demanding that I stop drawing or that I remove certain cartoons, especially those that cover security, government, or other topics related to the president. I am afraid of course that something could happen to me.

Are there taboos (subjects you cannot draw about) in Rwanda? And is there outright censorship on some topics?

To write and talk about sex in public was forbidden but now television and radio cover this topic. Of course all topics related to the president are taboo. It is forbidden to write articles or use photos and documents without authorization from the Office of the President. This is an unofficial law, not documented but known by all. This restriction is applicable even to topics related to the security agencies, the police and the army.

President Paul Kagame celebrates his 59th birthday on Ocober 23, 2016.

What are your favorite subjects to draw about? And do these include ‘dangerous’ topics?

I like the subjects of human rights, security and corruption, all of which are dangerous to some extent. Rwanda is placed quited high in various rankings comparing African countries. This means that relatively safe place, with little corruption. It is not true! Some reports are pure falsehood. I think as an editorial cartoonist it is my job to never give up, even if there are very dangerous topics that need to be addressed.

How is the economic situation in Rwanda; is it possible to make a living as a cartoonist?

There are two newspapers that pay cartoonists; among them is the one that I work for as a cartoonist. I earn a minimum of 200 euros and a maximum of 400 euros per month. My income is laughable; being a cartoonist is not a desirable job here. Cartoon Movement helps me to continue my work, giving me the support of an international community of cartoonists.

African Union launches one passport for Africa.

Are you positive about the future of editorial cartooning in Rwanda?

Everything is possible; the development must begin with basic skills. There is no initiative in Rwanda to help cartoonists in their skills and activities. Learning fine arts does not mean that you necessarily become an editorial cartoonist, but the government should understand the importance of freedom of expression. At present, many cartoonists shy away from politics. They become illustrators instead, choosing to draw subjects related to leisure and entertainment.

Vanessa Valadez is a Chicago-based cartoonist and illustrator.  Her artwork is inspired by children’s books, video games, cartoons, comics, and real life. Her work has appeared in Fusion, South Side Weekly, The Columbia Chronicle, The Chicago Monitor, and Linework to name a few. Check out more of her work on vanessavaladez.com.

Feras Haggag is cartoonist originally from Egypt. He has been working as a cartoonist, photographer and designer since 2006. His work has appeared in many newspapers and magazines in and outside of Egypt and has also been featured on news channels like Al Jazeera.

Luca Garonzi is a cartoonist from Verona, Italy.  He published his first cartoon at 19 and has been making cartoons and illustrations ever since.

If you’re reading this blog, we probably do not need to tell you that cartoons are powerful. We’re proud of the cartoons we publish every day, and it’s great to see some of them really have an impact.

Recently, two of the cartoons we have published went truly viral: Allepo(nica) by Vasco Gargalo and Nobody is Haiti by Elchicotriste. Both have been published widely, being featured by Al Jazeera, Human Rights Watch and the Guardian (to name just a few). Both cartoons have reached an audience of millions.

We thought this cartoon by Dino would work well as a shirt design. We have a lot more cartoon designs available in our webshop.

This weekend, the winners of Una Vignetta per L’Europa 2016 were announced in Ferrara, Italy. The concourse is organized by the European Commission in Italy in cooperation with Internazionale and VoxEurop, and awards the best political cartoons about Europe that have been published in Italian media. All the 50 finalists can be seen here.

The prize ceremony takes place during Internazionale in Ferrara, a festival that features over 240 journalists from all over the world.

This year's result is particularly noteworthy (for us), because all the awarded cartoonists are  also members of Cartoon Movement:

First prize was won by Niels Bo Bojesen from Denmark, with a cartoon about Brexit.

Second prize was awarded to Marco De Angelis.

Third prize was given to Tjeerd Royaards, with a cartoon that was made the day ofter the Brussels attack in March 2016.

A special prize was given to Fabio Magnasciutti. (Translantion: OK, who expressed this desire?)

A cartoon by Giuseppe La Micela received the prize awarded by the public.