Niger: crackdown on justice sector unions raises human rights concerns
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 sector trade unions in Niger. These actions, enforced by decrees from the Minister of Interior, Public Security, and Territorial Administration on August 7, 2025, were swiftly followed by the dismissal of two senior magistrates from the Autonomous Union of Magistrates of Niger (Saman) who had voiced criticism against the dissolutions. The Observatory urgently calls upon Nigerien authorities to immediately revoke these decisions and uphold fundamental freedoms, including the rights to association and trade unionism, in line with the nation’s domestic and international commitments.
On August 7, 2025, General Mohamed Toumba, Niger’s Minister of Interior, signed five decrees ordering the dissolution of the Autonomous Union of Magistrates of Niger (Saman), the Union of Magistrates of Niger (Uman), the National Union of Justice Agents (Snaj), the Union of Cadres and Technical Agents of the Ministry of Justice (Syncat), and the Independent Union of Magistrates of Niger (Siman). Notably, these ministerial decrees provided no explicit justification for the dissolutions.
The following day, August 8, 2025, Justice Minister Alio Daouda addressed the press, asserting that these governmental measures were enacted due to “repeated deviations detrimental to the proper functioning of public service.” He further contended that the unions had “strayed” from their designated roles by prioritizing “personal interests.” In response, Saman and the Niger Bar Association declared a symbolic strike for August 14 and 15, 2025, to protest these decrees.
The government’s basis for dissolving these unions appears to rest on an inappropriate ordinance, thereby infringing upon Niger’s Labor Code and recognized trade union freedom. According to a communiqué issued on Saturday, August 9, 2025, by the Union of Workers’ Unions of Niger (USTN), Ordinance N°84-06 of March 1, 1984, which governs associations in Niger, applies exclusively to non-profit organizations and is not applicable to trade unions. Unions fall under a distinct legal framework, specifically the Labor Code of the Republic of Niger, Law N°2012-45 of September 25, 2012, and international conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) ratified by Niger. Lacking a proper legal foundation, these dissolutions are consequently null and void, and cannot be enforced against the unions.
Magistrate union leaders who dared to speak out against these unlawful dissolutions subsequently faced severe executive sanctions. On August 14, 2025, Niger’s President, Abdourahamane Tiani, issued a presidential decree to dismiss and exclude Mr. Abdoul-Nasser Bagna Abdourahamane, Secretary General of Saman, from the magistracy. This punitive action followed Abdoul-Nasser Bagna Abdourahamane’s criticisms regarding the judicial union dissolutions of August 7, 2025, and his request for a right of reply to the Justice Minister’s press conference on August 8. Less than 24 hours later, on August 15, 2025, President Tiani issued another presidential decree to dismiss and exclude Mr. Moussa Mahamadou, Deputy Secretary General of Saman, from the magistracy. This dismissal was a direct consequence of a union communiqué, signed by Moussa Mahamadou, which condemned the sanction against his superior and called for a general strike—a move deemed illegal by Nigerien authorities—until Abdoul-Nasser Bagna Abdourahamane’s reinstatement.
The dissolution of justice sector unions raises profound concerns regarding the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary, both cornerstones of a democratic state. These dissolutions, enacted through administrative decisions, represent a serious infringement on fundamental freedoms, particularly the freedom of association. This right is enshrined in Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Niger is a party, and Article 36 of Niger’s Charter of Refoundation of March 26, 2025. The Niger Bar Association has also denounced “the compromise of trade union freedom, judicial independence, freedom of expression, and to some extent, even the right to defense.”
These measures also violate the right to freedom of association and trade unionism, which is safeguarded by several international commitments made by Niger. These include Articles 10 and subsequent articles of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Articles 21 and 22 of the ICCPR, ILO Convention No. 87 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, ratified by Niger in 1961, ILO Convention No. 98 concerning the Application of the Principles of the Right to Organise and to Bargain Collectively, ratified in 1962, and Article 38 of Niger’s Charter of Refoundation of March 26, 2025. These instruments collectively guarantee the right of workers and employers to establish organizations for the defense of their professional interests.
The Observatory observes with deep concern that these dissolution and dismissal decisions appear to be part of a broader effort to intimidate and silence the judiciary. These actions unfold within a context marked by a shrinking civic space and recurrent assaults on the fundamental rights of all dissenting voices. Time and again, rights such as freedom of expression, opinion, association, assembly, and demonstration have been violated, often through arbitrary arrests and detentions of human rights defenders. A notable example is Mr. Moussa Tchangari, who has been arbitrarily detained for nearly nine months, partly after attending a meeting of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and for criticizing the Nigerien Interior Minister’s decision to revoke the licenses of two humanitarian organizations.
The Observatory reiterates that the protection of trade union rights and the independence of the judiciary are fundamental pillars of the rule of law and democracy. The Observatory calls upon Nigerien authorities to promptly revoke the dissolution decrees targeting the five justice sector unions and to immediately reinstate Abdoul-Nasser Bagna Abdourahamane and Moussa Mahamadou to the magistracy. The Observatory condemns all forms of harassment, intimidation, or sanctions against trade unions and human rights defenders, demanding full respect for the freedom of association and trade union rights, in accordance with Niger’s national and international obligations.
