Niger: Prominent Journalist 'Disappeared' for 2 Months

What the report says

Human Rights Watch is urging Niger’s authorities to disclose the whereabouts of prominent journalist Moussa Kaka and free him if he has not been formally and fairly charged. According to the report distributed by AllAfrica, Kaka, the director-general of Radio Télévision Saraounia in Niamey and a former correspondent for Radio France Internationale, disappeared on Aug. 31, 2026, after leaving his office to go home. His family and colleagues were unable to confirm where he was for weeks.

The organization said Niger’s justice minister later acknowledged on Sept. 25, during the country’s Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations in Geneva, that Kaka was being detained, but gave no details about the alleged offense or where he was being held. Human Rights Watch said the lack of information amounts to an enforced disappearance and puts Kaka at risk. The group also called for his safety to be ensured and for due process if authorities intend to pursue charges.

The case has drawn wider concern because Kaka is a well-known journalist who has faced prior arrests and pressure over his work. Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders have taken the matter to regional and UN mechanisms, while African civil society groups and rights defenders have asked for his release. The report says the episode reflects broader concerns about media freedom and political repression in Niger under the military junta, which seized power in 2023 and has tightened control over dissent, journalists and civil society.