Burkina Faso releases journalists and activist forced into army
Military conscription of critics in Burkina Faso draws global condemnation In early July 2025, Burkina Faso authorities took a significant step by releasing five journalists and a human rights activist who had been illegally conscripted into the military. Their crime? Criticizing the ruling military junta. While their release is a positive development, it underscores a […]
Read More
Breaking the silence: combating sickle cell disease in Niger
breaking the silence: combating sickle cell disease in Niger Imagine if a simple blood test before marriage could fundamentally alter a life’s trajectory? “Upon assuming leadership of the National Reference Centre for Sickle Cell Disease (CNRD), one particular story left an indelible mark: that of a parent, driven by destitution, forced to abandon their child […]
Read More
Human rights defenders missing in Burkina Faso: the case of Amadou Sawadogo and Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé
Urgent appeal: forced disappearance of activists in Burkina Faso The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a collaborative effort between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent mobilization regarding the current events in Burkina Faso. Details of the disappearances The Observatory has been […]
Read More
Two years of arbitrary detention for Niger’s former president Mohamed Bazoum
Click to expand Image Authorities in Niger are being urged to immediately release former President Mohamed Bazoum, who remains in arbitrary custody two years after a military coup removed him from power, Human Rights Watch stated today. On July 26, 2023, military officers belonging to the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), […]
Read More
Human rights violations in Mali: executions and forced disappearances of fulani civilians
Allegations of war crimes by Malian forces and Wagner group Since January 2025, the Malian armed forces and their Russian-backed Wagner allies have been implicated in dozens of summary executions and enforced disappearances targeting Fulani civilians. International observers and local testimonies accuse both forces of systematic human rights violations during counter-insurgency operations against Islamist armed […]
Read More
A champion for sickle cell patients: the work of Dr Gloria Damoaliga Berges in Burkina Faso
In Burkina Faso, the impact of sickle cell disease is a significant public health priority, with a prevalence rate of 4.63%. Notably, nearly 2% of newborns are diagnosed with the SS form, which is the most acute variation of the condition. This situation demands a comprehensive, multi-sector strategy involving every level of society. Dr Gloria […]
Read More
Mali’s escalating sexual violence crisis in displacement camps and conflict areas
Mali’s escalating sexual violence crisis in displacement camps and conflict areas 1 juillet 2025 Femmes As persistent insecurity and forced displacements plague central and northern Mali, women and girls face increasingly severe risks of gender-based violence, an urgent warning from a United Nations agency reveals. A recent investigation conducted in May by the United Nations […]
Read More
Sahel’s silent crisis: rising jihadist threat and authoritarian shifts
The Sahel no longer dominates global headlines. While the world’s attention has been hijacked by crises elsewhere—Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict in 2023, Rwanda-backed rebel offensives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the upheaval of U.S. institutions under a new administration—the Sahel’s deepening turmoil has slipped […]
Read More
Niger grapples with simultaneous polio and covid outbreaks
Niger struggles with dual health crises: polio resurgence amid COVID-19 pandemic The Niger is currently battling two major health threats simultaneously: the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a sudden polio outbreak that has already affected two children in the regions of Niamey and Tillaberi. This double burden is putting immense strain on the country’s already fragile […]
Read More
Burkina Faso faces unprecedented dengue outbreak
Burkina Faso grapples with unprecedented dengue fever outbreak The dengue fever epidemic, transmitted by mosquitoes, has claimed 214 lives in Burkina Faso since January, primarily in the capital Ouagadougou and the country’s second-largest city, Bobo-Dioulasso. This alarming situation was confirmed by the Burkinabè government. Share The tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), an invasive species notorious for […]
Read More
Niger must end arbitrary detention of human rights defender Moussa Tiangari
Human rights organizations are urging the Niger government to immediately release Moussa Tiangari, a prominent civil society activist and human rights defender, following six months of arbitrary detention. The call comes as authorities continue to misuse terrorism-related charges to silence dissenting voices. Click to expand Image Arbitrary arrest and detention On 3 December 2024, plain-clothes […]
Read More
Un experts raise alarm over Mali’s suspension of political party activities
UN experts raise alarm over Mali’s suspension of political party activities A consortium of independent United Nations experts issued a stern warning on Thursday, asserting that the Malian Council of Ministers’ approval of a bill nullifying fundamental safeguards for political engagement, coupled with the signing of a decree to indefinitely suspend political party operations in […]
Read More