Rights monitors have accused the military government in Niger of subjecting a prominent independent journalist to a forced disappearance. Moussa Kaka vanished on August 31, according to Human Rights Watch, which released a statement on Thursday calling on the ruling authorities to immediately reveal his location.
The 66-year-old serves as the director of Radio Television Saraounia, an independent broadcaster in the west African nation. Various media watchdogs and non-governmental organisations have raised alarms regarding his safety since he went missing.
The military authorities in Niger have faced repeated accusations from international rights organisations of clamping down on political opposition and restricting press freedom. These curbs on dissent intensified after the military seized power through a coup d’etat in 2023.
The disappearance of Kaka occurred shortly after an army mutiny shook the governing military administration. That internal challenge was thwarted with assistance from Russian allies, following intense fighting at strategic locations across the capital city of Niamey.
Authorities have still not provided any information regarding the whereabouts of the veteran broadcaster or offered any justification for his detention. Two months after his disappearance, his exact legal status is unclarified by the state.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch, criticised the lack of transparency from the government. Two months after Moussa Kaka vanished in Niger, the authorities have yet to provide his location or explain his detention, she stated.
Niger’s authorities should immediately account for Kaka and free him if he hasn’t been fairly charged, Allegrozzi added. She also called upon foreign governments to apply pressure on the ruling junta to secure his release.
