Your go-to English source for news from Ouagadougou and Burkina Faso, updated daily.
In Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger, military regimes are increasingly silencing dissent through forced disappearances and illegal detentions. These tactics, highlighted in recent reports, aim to crush opposition voices and instill fear across civil society. Since July 9, 2024, two activists from Guinea’s Front National pour la Défense de la Constitution—Mamadou Billo Bah and […]
In response to Mali’s proposal to dissolve all political parties following consultations on the revision of the Political Parties Charter, Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa regional office, issued a stark warning: « The prospect of dissolving political parties in Mali raises serious concerns, as it would represent a blatant […]
Mali leads the way with innovative hybrid malaria vaccine approach On World Malaria Day, Mali implements a groundbreaking hybrid vaccination strategy to combat the disease. The West African nation becomes the 20th African country to introduce malaria vaccines and the first globally to adopt this seasonal dosing approach. In 2023, Mali accounted for 3.1% of […]
Burkinabè authorities are significantly escalating their suppression of dissenting opinions by including the names of several exiled journalists and activists on a list of individuals wanted for “criminal association in relation to a terrorist enterprise.” This development is widely perceived as a calculated strategy to intensify the government’s repression against independent media outlets and human […]
Click to expand Image (Nairobi) – La junte militaire du Burkina Faso a arrêté trois journalistes le 24 mars 2025 pour avoir couvert la répression gouvernementale contre les médias, a déclaré Human Rights Watch aujourd’hui. Les autorités ont arrêté Guezouma Sanogo et Boukari Ouoba, respectivement président et vice-président de l’Association des journalistes du Burkina (AJB), […]
Eighteen months following the coup d’état on July 26, 2023, which ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the CNSP military administration is intensifying its control over Niger. A recent investigation by Amnesty International, published on March 18, details a troubling landscape of forced arrests, unlawful detentions, media crackdowns, and the prohibition of political parties. The report, […]
Sahel governments intensify crackdowns on human rights defenders Human rights defenders across the Sahel region face growing threats as civic freedoms rapidly erode and public liberties come under sustained attack from state authorities. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint initiative of the International Federation for Human Rights – FIDH and […]
Click to expand Image Beyond being neighbors in the Sahel region of Africa, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger share at least three significant commonalities. First, all three nations are currently governed by military juntas. Second, these military regimes are responsible for severe human rights violations, including various atrocities. Violence against civilians during ongoing conflicts is […]
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized the Niger as the first country in Africa—and the fifth globally—to eliminate Onchocerca volvulus, the parasite responsible for river blindness. « Eliminating a disease is a monumental achievement that demands relentless dedication, » stated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. « The Niger’s commitment to freeing its […]
Burkina Faso receives major health system boost with World Bank funding Washington, D.C. — The World Bank has approved a transformative financial package to enhance Burkina Faso’s healthcare system. The initiative includes a €142 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) and a $17 million grant from the Global Financing Facility (GFF). These funds […]
Mali introduces HPV vaccine to fight cervical cancer in women In a groundbreaking move, the Malian government has integrated the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into its routine immunization program this November. At a high-profile ceremony in Bamako, attended by key dignitaries and international partners including Gavi and the Ministry of Health and Social Development, the […]
Click to expand Image Human Rights Watch has called upon the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to focus on the most severe challenges facing Burkina Faso during its country review scheduled for October 23, 2024. The rights group emphasized that the Burkinabè government must urgently protect civilians impacted by the armed conflict, […]