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Click to expand Image In early July 2025, Burkinabè authorities freed five journalists and a human rights advocate who had been unlawfully forcibly enlisted into the military after vocalizing criticism against the ruling military junta. While this development is a welcome step, their release also serves as a stark reminder that several other individuals remain unaccounted for, some since 2024, with no information regarding their whereabouts.On March 24, 2024, in Ouagadougou, the nation's capital, officials apprehended Guezouma Sanogo, Boukari Ouoba, and Phil Roland Zongo, all members of the Association of Journalists of Burkina (AJB), alongside Luc Pagbelguem, a journalist from the private television cha...

Click to expand Image (Nairobi) – Human Rights Watch has called for the urgent release of Mohamed Bazoum, the former president of Niger, who has been held in arbitrary detention for two years following a military coup.On July 26, 2023, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), led by Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, overthrew the government and arrested Mohamed Bazoum along with his wife, Hadiza Bazoum. The couple continues to be held within the presidential palace in Niamey, the nation's capital, without access to legal counsel or their family members. Following the removal of his presidential immunity by the junta in 2024, Mohamed Bazoum is now facing an impending trial.« The...

Since January 2025, the Malian armed forces and their Russian-backed Wagner Group allies have been implicated in a series of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances targeting Peul civilians in Mali. These alleged atrocities, documented by human rights organizations, raise serious concerns about accountability and the protection of civilian populations in conflict zones. allegations of war crimes by malian troops and Wagner fighters According to credible reports, Malian soldiers and Wagner mercenaries have executed at least 12 Peul men and forcibly disappeared another 81 individuals since the start of 2025. These incidents occurred during counter-insurgency operations against Islamist armed groups, particularly the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), an Al-Qaeda-lin...

The health authorities in Mali are currently facing a significant challenge as the country falls short of its immunization targets. While the government aimed to protect 70% of the population aged 12 and older, the current vaccination coverage remains stagnant at a mere 8%. To address this gap, a delegation from the United Nations visited the country in early October. Their mission was to assist local officials in aligning with the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (PNDV). Ted Chaiban, the UN's lead coordinator for global Covid-19 vaccine readiness, emphasized the importance of these collaborative efforts. He noted that multiple initiatives are underway to support the government and its partners in safeguarding the public. Convincing the population remains a hurdle In Bamako, t...

Hôpital Au Mali, l'accès aux soins reste un défi Au nord du Mali, l'accès aux soins de base – particulièrement pour les femmes et les enfants – reste une préoccupation majeure. Par Barou Dembélé Mis à jour le 25/06/2025 Partager L'accès aux soins de santé reste critique pour les Maliennes. La crise sécuritaire survenue à partir de 2012 a eu des répercussions négatives sur un système de santé déjà fragile dans le nord du pays. Aujourd'hui, beaucoup de Maliens, notamment les enfants en bas âge et les femmes enceintes, particulièrement vulnérables, mais aussi les blessés de guerre, ont de grandes difficultés à se faire soigner.  "Je suis à plus de 20 km de Koro (dans la région de Mopti), donc très loin d’un centre de santé.  C’est à Bamako que j’ai rencontré une équip...

United Nations human rights experts are sounding the alarm over recent legislative moves in Mali that may undermine core democratic principles. A newly proposed bill to repeal fundamental protections for political participation, combined with an executive decree halting all party activities indefinitely, has been condemned as a direct violation of international human rights standards. The group of independent UN experts issued a joint statement highlighting that these actions could severely restrict civic freedoms and democratic governance in the country. « This decree must be revoked immediately, » they emphasized. « If adopted, the April 30 legislative proposal would place Mali in breach of its obligations under international law, particularly regarding freedom of association and expres...

Military regimes in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger are systematically using forced disappearances and illegal detentions to silence dissenting voices. This alarming trend is documented in recent reports, highlighting how security forces target activists, journalists, and human rights defenders to suppress opposition and maintain control. In Guinea, two prominent members of the Front National pour la Défense de la Constitution—Mamadou Billo Bah and Oumar Sylla (known as Foniké Menguè)—were forcibly taken from Oumar Sylla’s home just before a major protest against rising living costs and the demand for a return to civilian rule. According to Mohamed Cissé, another arrested activist who was released two days later with severe injuries, the two men were reportedly taken to a detention s...

Click to expand Image Nairobi – Human Rights Watch reported today that the military junta in Burkina Faso detained three journalists on March 24, 2025, for their reporting on the government's escalating suppression of media outlets.The authorities apprehended Guezouma Sanogo, president of the Association of Journalists of Burkina (AJB), Boukari Ouoba, its vice-president, and Luc Pagbelguem, a journalist with the private television channel BF1, in the capital city of Ouagadougou. The current whereabouts of these three individuals remain undisclosed, raising serious concerns about potential enforced disappearances.« The arbitrary apprehension and subsequent disappearance of these three journalists underscor...

Human rights under siege in Niger 18 months after military takeover Eighteen months after the 26 July 2023 coup d'état that removed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger's military regime—led by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP)—has intensified its crackdown on dissent. Forced arrests, arbitrary detentions, media censorship, and the suspension of political parties have become hallmarks of a government that has systematically violated civil and political rights between July 2023 and January 2025. Amnesty International’s latest report, titled “Niger: Threats and Submission — Human Rights and Civic Space Under Pressure Since the July 26 Coup”, documents a sharp decline in freedoms, with critics and former officials facing systematic repression. W...

The situation for human rights defenders in the Sahel has reached a critical juncture. As civic spaces shrink and public freedoms come under threat, activists across the region face increasing persecution from state authorities. On February 20, 2025, the Observatoire pour la protection des défenseurs des droits humains — a joint initiative of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) — released a groundbreaking report highlighting alarming patterns of repression in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. The document examines 61 documented cases of human rights violations against defenders in these countries over the past five years. Entitled "Civic Space and Human Rights Defenders in the Sahel: Regional Convergence of Repressive ...

A striking similarity unites Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger beyond their geographic proximity in the Sahel region of Africa. Each is now governed by a military junta that has systematically undermined democratic norms and human dignity. three shared realities under military rule The first common thread is their leadership—unelected juntas that seized power, often through force. The second is the widespread pattern of human rights abuses committed by state forces, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and suppression of civil liberties under the guise of national security. A third, less obvious but equally strategic move links these nations: their collective withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). While framed as a political statement, this...

WASHINGTON — The World Bank has greenlit a €142 million (USD 150 million) credit from the International Development Association (IDA) and a $17 million grant from the Global Financing Facility (GFF) to fund the Performance and Resilience Strengthening Health System Project (PRPRSS) in Burkina Faso. This initiative focuses on adolescents, women, and children under five, aiming to enhance disease surveillance, healthcare service utilization, and nutrition. The project will span the entire country, with special emphasis on internally displaced persons and underserved communities. «Human development is the cornerstone of social inclusion and a top priority for the World Bank. This project complements the government’s efforts to build resilience and address current health sector challenges. I...