Niger : dissolution et répression des syndicats du secteur de la justice

Aïcha Abdou

Niger : dissolution et répression des syndicats du secteur de la justice 21/08/2025 Déclaration Niger Défenseurs des droits humains Tingey Injury Law Firm / Unsplash L’Observatoire pour la protection des défenseur·es des droits humains, un partenariat de la Fédération internationale pour les droits humains (FIDH) et de l’Organisation mondiale contre la torture (OMCT), condamne fermement la dissolution de cinq syndicats du secteur de la justice au Niger par arrêtés du ministre de l’Intérieur, de la sécurité publique et de l’administration du territoire le 7 août 2025, suivi de la radiation de…

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Burkina Faso declares un coordinator persona non grata after critical report

Ousmane Tandja

The Burkina Faso junta expels a top UN official following a damning report on child rights Click to expand Image The military leadership in Burkina Faso has declared the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, persona non grata in a sharp escalation of tensions over a recent UN report documenting severe violations against children in the country. Why was the UN coordinator expelled? The junta accused Carol Flore-Smereczniak of contributing to the April UN report, which examines the devastating impact of armed conflict on children in Burkina Faso. Authorities rejected…

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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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Sahel crisis deepens as jihadist violence and military rule escalate

Ousmane Tandja

The Sahel has faded from global headlines, yet its crises persist unabated. While international attention shifted to conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Congo, the Sahel’s decade-long struggles have only worsened. From Mali to Niger and Burkina Faso—the three nations forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—violence and instability continue to escalate, defying promises of security by military regimes that seized power in recent years. Once touted as saviors, these juntas have failed to curb jihadist groups. Instead, extremist violence has surged, making the Sahel the world’s deadliest hotspot for jihadist…

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Au Mali, l’accès aux soins reste un défi – Allo Docteurs

Ousmane Tandja

Hôpital Au Mali, l’accès aux soins reste un défi Au nord du Mali, l’accès aux soins de base – particulièrement pour les femmes et les enfants – reste une préoccupation majeure. Par Barou Dembélé Mis à jour le 25/06/2025 Partager L’accès aux soins de santé reste critique pour les Maliennes. La crise sécuritaire survenue à partir de 2012 a eu des répercussions négatives sur un système de santé déjà fragile dans le nord du pays. Aujourd’hui, beaucoup de Maliens, notamment les enfants en bas âge et les femmes enceintes, particulièrement vulnérables, mais…

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Cholera outbreak in Niger raises alarm among health officials

Aïcha Abdou

Niger faces rising cholera outbreak as authorities scramble for solutions Health authorities in Niger are urgently responding to a cholera outbreak that has already hospitalized over 600 patients in the Maradi and Zinder regions. Share Heavy seasonal rains along the Niger-Nigeria border have triggered a fresh cholera outbreak in the region. This acute intestinal infection stems from Vibrio cholerae bacteria contaminating stagnant water sources. Official reports confirm over 600 confirmed cases across affected areas, with 400 patients already recovered and 156 currently receiving treatment. Cholera spreads rapidly when contaminated water…

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