Niger: MFWA Calls for Investigation Into Journalist's Disappearance

What the report says

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has called on Nigerien authorities to investigate the disappearance of journalist Moussa Kaka, who is the director-general of Radio-Télévision Saraounia (RTS) and a former Radio France Internationale correspondent. According to the group’s press release, Kaka has been missing since August 31, 2026, after leaving RTS premises in Niamey around 7 p.m. to go home and not arriving as expected.

MFWA said Kaka’s relatives and colleagues have had no contact with him since then. It described him as a major figure in Nigerien journalism with decades of experience covering political, security and social issues. The organization also linked the case to wider concerns about press freedom in Niger, saying the media environment has worsened sharply over the past year.

As background reported by MFWA, Niger has seen more than a dozen journalists arrested, detained or abducted between May 2025 and August 2026. The release recalled that Kaka was among several journalists arrested in October 2025 in connection with a social media invitation to a press conference tied to a state-backed solidarity fund. MFWA is asking for urgent action, regular updates for the family and public, and accountability if anyone is found responsible. It also urged regional and UN human rights bodies to monitor the case closely until Kaka is found safe.