The father of exiled investigative journalist and activist Mamoudou Babila Keita has been abducted in N’Zérékoré in Guinea’s forest region. The incident occurred on September 29, 2025, as the 75-year-old was preparing to leave home for dawn prayers.
According to family accounts, security officers arrived at the home of El Hadj Adama Keita and took him away without explanation. His son, Mamoudou Babila Keita, has been living in exile since July 23, 2024, after escaping several attempted arrests in Conakry, Kankan, and other locations. His online reporting and commentary on the military transition, including allegations of governance failures, have made him a prominent critic of the authorities.
Unable to locate the journalist after months of pursuit, security services are reported to have turned their attention to his family members. In a public appeal, Mamoudou Babila Keita said his father’s abduction was directly linked to his work. He also reported that his maternal uncle, a farmer in Babila Centre, fled his village after receiving threats of a similar operation.
These developments point to an escalating pattern of reprisals against the relatives of dissenting voices, raising grave concerns about personal safety, due process, and freedom of expression in Guinea.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the targeting of family members as a means of silencing critics. The MFWA calls for the immediate and unconditional release of El Hadj Adama Keita and urges the authorities to drop all proceedings against Mamoudou Babila Keita. The MFWA further calls on human rights groups and diplomatic missions to monitor the situation closely and press for an end to intimidation against the journalist’s family.
