Human rights activists face escalating crackdowns across the Sahel

The Sahel region is witnessing an alarming surge in repression targeting human rights defenders, as civic spaces shrink and public freedoms come under sustained attack. A new report released today by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint initiative of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)) exposes a disturbing pattern of coordinated oppression in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad.

The report, titled “Civic space and human rights defenders in the Sahel: regional convergence of repression practices“, documents over 61 concrete cases of violations against activists and civil society organizations in these four nations over the past five years.

unified strategies of oppression

Following military takeovers and subsequent “transition” periods, authorities in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad have systematically adopted similar repressive methods to silence dissent:

• Arbitrary arrests and detentions have become routine
• Judicial harassment persists without respite
• Enforced disappearances and torture cases are multiplying
• Online threats and digital intimidation are escalating
• Peaceful protests face violent suppression
• Independent media outlets are systematically restricted
• Civil society organizations are dissolved or heavily controlled

Drissa Traore, FIDH Secretary General, warns: “The detailed documentation of 61 attacks against human rights defenders and civic space in the Sahel over five years reveals a stark reality: authorities in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad appear locked in an endless cycle of repression. This must stop immediately. These countries must restore the rule of law and democracy, values to which Sahel populations remain deeply committed. The fight continues, and we stand in solidarity with defenders.”

Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General, adds: “It is high time for Burkinabè, Malian, Nigerien, and Chadian authorities to comply with their international obligations and cease their repression of civil society. We also call on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the United Nations, and international partners to take all necessary measures to put an end to these violations of fundamental rights and freedoms.”

regional implications and international response

This coordinated crackdown contradicts the international commitments these countries have made, undermining hopes for peaceful, rights-respecting solutions to regional crises. The report offers concrete recommendations for:

• Restoring safety for human rights defenders
• Ending attacks on civic freedoms
• Ensuring compliance with regional and international human rights standards
• Protecting independent media and civil society organizations

Available in French and English on FIDH’s website, and in French and English on OMCT’s platform.

key country organizations fighting back

Local human rights organizations are at the forefront of resistance:

• Burkina Faso: Mouvement Burkinabè des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples (MBDHP)
• Niger: Association Nigérienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (ANDDH)
• Chad: Association Tchadienne pour la Promotion et la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (ATPDH) and Ligue Tchadienne des Droits de l’Homme (LTDH)