Sahel juntas are 'crushing' basic freedoms
Key takeaways
- In the Sahel countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, military rulers are increasingly clamping down on press freedom and freedom of expression.
- They have also ordered the shutdown of independent radio stations and online platforms.
- It's no longer as easy to speak out," Ulf Laessing, former director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Sahel program in Mali.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
In the Sahel countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, military rulers are increasingly clamping down on press freedom and freedom of expression. Many journalists, bloggers and activists have been forced into exile.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FBRy The leaders of the military governments in the Sahel Alliance (from left: Assimi Goita of Mali, Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger, and Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso) are accused of suppressing basic freedoms and democracy Image: Francis Kokoroko/REUTERS; ORTN - Télé Sahel/AFP/Getty; Mikhail Metzel/TASS/picture allianceAdvertisementSince the 2020‑2023 coups in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, military leaders have imposed sweeping criminal‑defamation and anti‑terrorism laws that enable the arbitrary detention of journalists, bloggers and activists. They have also ordered the shutdown of independent radio stations and online platforms.
"It has become more repressive. It's no longer as easy to speak out," Ulf Laessing, former director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Sahel program in Mali. People have become more cautious. "That is clearly a point of criticism against the government," he told DW.