Month: July 2025

Burkina Faso releases illegally conscripted journalists and activist

Ousmane Tandja

Five journalists and a human rights defender freed after forced military enrolment In early July 2025, the Burkina Faso government released five journalists and one human rights activist who had been forcibly conscripted into the military after criticising the ruling junta. While this marks a positive step, their release also casts a harsh light on the ongoing disappearances of others—some missing since 2024—with no trace of their whereabouts. Background: arrests and forced conscription On March 24, 2024, in the capital Ouagadougou, authorities detained three members of the Burkina Faso Journalists’…

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Fighting sickle cell in Niger: early detection saves lives

Aïcha Abdou

Fighting sickle cell in Niger: early detection saves lives A simple blood test before marriage could transform countless lives in Niger. Yet, for many families, sickle cell disease remains a silent crisis, leaving children without hope due to lack of awareness and resources. Dr. Mariam Boureima Djibo, director of the National Sickle Cell Reference Center (CNRD) in Niamey, shares a heartbreaking experience: « When I took charge of the center, one case haunted me—a parent, overwhelmed by poverty, had to abandon their child because they couldn’t afford life-saving medication. This…

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Forced disappearances of human rights defenders in Burkina Faso

Aïcha Abdou

Forced disappearance of human rights defenders Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé and Amadou Sawadogo in Burkina Faso In a deeply troubling development, two prominent human rights defenders, Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé and Amadou Sawadogo, have been forcibly disappeared in Burkina Faso amid escalating repression against civil society. Their sudden abductions have sent shockwaves through the human rights community, raising urgent concerns about their safety and well-being. © Balai citoyen Timeline of distressing events The crisis unfolded rapidly, beginning with the abduction of Miphal Ousmane Lankoandé, a sociologist and executive secretary of the Balai…

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Niger’s former president remains in arbitrary detention two years later

Ousmane Tandja

Click to expand Image Human Rights Watch has called on the authorities in Niger to grant immediate freedom to the deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum, who continues to be held in unlawful confinement two years after a military uprising removed him from office. On July 26, 2023, members of the Niger military, forming the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) under General Abdourahamane Tiani, seized power and took Mohamed Bazoum and his wife, Hadiza Bazoum, into custody. The couple remains confined within the presidential residence in the capital,…

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Mali military and Wagner group accused of crimes against fulani civilians

Ousmane Tandja

allegations of war crimes in Mali: army and Wagner group target fulani men Since january 2025, the Mali armed forces and the russian-backed Wagner group have been implicated in a series of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances targeting men from the fulani ethnic group, according to human rights organizations. These allegations include at least 12 confirmed executions and the disappearance of at least 81 individuals, all linked to counter-insurgency operations in regions under pressure from islamist armed groups. key findings of human rights watch mass killings in sebabougou: in april…

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Drépanocytose au Burkina Faso : Dre Gloria Damoaliga Berges leads advocacy

Aïcha Abdou

Empowering Sickle Cell Warriors: How Dr. Gloria Damoaliga Berges Is Transforming Care in Burkina Faso Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — With a prevalence rate of 4.63% and nearly 2% of newborns diagnosed with the severe SS form, sickle cell disease remains a critical public health challenge in Burkina Faso. This inherited blood disorder demands urgent, multisectoral action to address its devastating physical, psychological, and socioeconomic impacts across the nation. At the forefront of this fight is Dr. Gloria Damoaliga Berges, Vice President of the Centre d’Initiative contre la Drépanocytose au Burkina…

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Mali’s escalating crisis: sexual violence surges in displaced camps

Aïcha Abdou

Mali’s escalating crisis: sexual violence surges in displaced camps 1 juillet 2025 Femmes As persistent insecurity and forced displacement plague Mali’s central and northern regions, an alarming trend of escalating gender-based violence (GBV) is putting women at heightened risk, a United Nations agency has warned. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), an agency dedicated to sexual and reproductive health, a survey conducted last May revealed “a rise in sexual violence cases within internally displaced persons (IDP) sites and conflict-affected regions.” The report specifically highlighted instances of “sexual exploitation,…

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