Your go-to English source for news from Ouagadougou and Burkina Faso, updated daily.
BURKINA-MALI-NIGER Repression to mask failure Widespread crackdowns, arbitrary arrests, detentions, and severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms characterize the current climate in the AES military regimes. These governments grapple with profound legitimacy crises, making the environment increasingly challenging for human rights advocates and media outlets. Those who seize power by force often face the […]
Press freedom in Niger is under severe threat as transitional authorities systematically intimidate and detain journalists reporting on the country’s conflict and security issues, Amnesty International has warned. Since the 26 July 2023 coup, when presidential guard commander Abdourahamane Tchiani deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and declared himself head of the National Council for the Safeguarding […]
Mali escalates suppression of dissent through targeted dissolutions Click to expand Image In Mali, the government’s recent decision to dissolve a prominent student association marks another step in a growing pattern of crackdowns on civil society organizations. The Ministry of Territorial Administration accused the Association des Élèves et Étudiants du Mali (AEEM) of fomenting violence […]
The impending withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) raises critical concerns about access to justice for citizens facing rights violations. Without this regional framework, victims may lose a vital recourse to challenge abuses by authorities or security forces. Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior researcher at a leading […]
Since the military takeover on July 26, 2023, the governing authorities in Niger have arbitrarily detained numerous former government officials and stifled independent media outlets and peaceful opposition, as reported by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. These authorities must promptly release all individuals held for politically motivated reasons and ensure adherence to due process […]
Amnesty International has voiced profound alarm over the enforced disappearance of Samira Sabou, a prominent Nigerien journalist and blogger. Following her abduction by masked individuals claiming to be security operatives from her Niamey home on September 30, Ousmane Diallo, a Sahel researcher with Amnesty’s regional office for West and Central Africa, has urgently called for […]
The military takeover spearheaded by General Tiani, which ousted President Bazoum in Niger on July 26, marks the latest in a troubling wave of power grabs sweeping across the Sahel. Since 2020, the Sahel region has witnessed six such events, making Niger’s the seventh. The reactions from both regional and global players have been notably […]
Following the military takeover in Niger on July 26, 2023, international reactions were swift and pronounced. Major bodies such as ECOWAS, the African Union, and powerful nations like the USA, France, and Russia quickly articulated their stances. In Bénin, the pronouncements of President Patrice Talon and the prospect of an armed intervention have not been […]
Political tensions in the Niger and the looming threat of a West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) military intervention have raised serious concerns for the Beninese opposition party ‘Les Démocrates’. In an official statement released over the weekend, party leader Eric Houndété expressed grave apprehension over the unfolding coup d’état in Niger, a neighboring […]
On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, the President of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), Maty El Hadj Moussa, inaugurated a significant regional conference in Niamey. This summit focused on establishing robust mechanisms for the protection of human rights within the Sahel, particularly addressing the security challenges faced in the tri-border area encompassing Burkina Faso, Mali, […]
urgent call for press freedom protection in Mali and Burkina Faso Newspaper vendor displaying headlines about Burkina Faso’s January 22, 2022 coup on the front page ©Olympie de Maismont – AFP Organisation: RSF_fr RSF_Inter Share: facebook twitter linkedin email Under the leadership of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), nearly 30 human rights and media organizations have […]
Click to expand Image A television displays the cut signal of France 24, hours after Burkina Faso’s military government suspended the channel on March 27, 2023. © 2023 Olympia de Maismont/AFP via Getty Images In a recent escalation against media freedom in Burkina Faso, the nation’s transitional military authorities have expelled two French journalists, Agnès […]