Your go-to English source for news from Ouagadougou and Burkina Faso, updated daily.
Bamako – Kadidia, a 19-year-old student, once hesitated to discuss contraception openly. « In our community, it’s still a taboo subject,» she admits. Like many young women in Mali, Kadidia faced deep-rooted social and cultural barriers when seeking sexual and reproductive health services. These challenges, though daunting, are being addressed through targeted interventions that prioritize […]
When the notorious Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries announced its departure from Mali earlier this year, it publicly claimed on social media that its “mission was accomplished.” In reality, the group’s three-and-a-half-year involvement in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations had a disastrous impact, leaving the Sahelian nation still widely recognized as a global epicenter for terrorism. […]
Nos opérations Burkina Faso Depuis 2008 Nos opérations Burkina Faso Chiffres clés Population:23 548 781 PIB par habitant:987,3 Indice de développement humain:186 / 193 Volume opérationnel:23 165 251 Personnes soutenues:1 238 398 Espérance de vie:61 ans Équipe:367 Burkina Faso Lieux d’intervention 1. Bobo-Dioulasso 2. Dori 3. Fada N’gourma 4. Ouagadougou 5. Ouahigouya 6. Tenkodogo Depuis […]
UN warns Mali over election suspensions and rising repression The United Nations has raised serious concerns about the deteriorating situation in Mali. In a recent statement, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed alarm over the indefinite postponement of elections and the escalation of repression targeting civil society. Election delays and legal […]
Mali’s democratic backslide: UN warns of escalating authoritarianism and repression The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has issued a stark warning about Mali’s deepening political crisis, where democratic institutions are steadily giving way to increasingly repressive governance. Volker Türk, the UN’s top human rights official, sounded the alarm on September 4, 2025, highlighting […]
Click to expand Image In a significant blow to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, Burkina Faso‘s transitional legislative assembly passed a law on September 1st that criminalizes consensual same-sex relationships. Under this new legislation, individuals convicted of homosexuality face penalties including up to five years in prison and financial fines. […]
Niger: crackdown on justice sector unions raises human rights concerns Niger Human rights defenders Tingey Injury Law Firm / Unsplash The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a collaborative initiative of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), strongly condemns the recent dissolution of five justice […]
The military junta in Burkina Faso recently declared the United Nations’ top representative in the country, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, persona non grata, following the release of a critical UN report on grave violations against children in the nation. Click to expand Image This expulsion marks the second instance of a high-ranking UN official being declared unwelcome […]
Click to expand Image At the start of July 2025, authorities in Burkina Faso released five journalists and one human rights defender who had been illegally drafted into the military. These individuals were targeted and forcibly conscripted after voicing opposition to the ruling military junta. While their return is a positive step, it serves as […]
Niger’s silent struggle: empowering communities against sickle cell disease Imagine the profound impact a straightforward pre-marital blood test could have on an individual’s life trajectory. Upon assuming leadership at the National Reference Center for Sickle Cell Disease (CNRD), physician-colonel Mariam Boureima Djibo, the center’s director, was deeply affected by a particular story: a parent, facing […]
URGENT APPEAL – THE OBSERVATORY BFA 002 / 0525 / OBS 022Enforced disappearanceBurkina FasoMay 2, 2025 The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), urges intervention regarding the following situation in Burkina Faso. Situation overview: The Observatory […]
Human rights advocates are urging Niger’s military authorities to immediately release former President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held without legal justification for over two years since his ousting in a coup. On July 26, 2023, officers from Niger’s self-proclaimed National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, forcibly […]