The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is deeply concerned for the safety of Nigerien journalist Moussa Kaka, Director-General of Radio-Télévision Saraounia (RTS) and a former Radio France Internationale (RFI) correspondent, who has been missing since August 31, 2026.
Kaka reportedly left his outlet’s premises in the capital, Niamey, at around 7pm on August 31, to return home, but never arrived. His relatives and colleagues have had no word from him since.
A leading figure in Nigerien journalism for over thirty years, Kaka has built his reputation on thorough coverage of the country’s political, security and social affairs. His disappearance comes amid a marked and sustained deterioration in press freedom in Niger, where more than a dozen journalists have been arrested, detained, or abducted between May 2025 and August 2026.
In October 2025, Nigerien authorities arrested Kaka along with five other journalists, Abdoul Aziz, Ibro Chaibou, Souleymane Brah, Youssouf Seriba and Oumarou Kané, in an attempt to identify the person responsible for circulating on social media an invitation to a press conference organised by the Fonds de Solidarité pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie (FSSP). The FSSP is a public fund established by the military authorities to mobilise citizen contributions in support of Niger’s security, food and economic sovereignty.
After no formal charges were brought against them, Kaka and two other journalists were released and placed under judicial supervision. The remaining three journalists were prosecuted for “complicity in disseminating a document likely to disturb public order” under Niger’s Cybercrime Law. They were later released after spending eight to ten months in detention.
The MFWA is urging the Nigerien authorities to treat Kaka’s disappearance as a matter of utmost urgency, to keep his family, colleagues and the public informed of progress in the search, and to hold accountable anyone found responsible for his disappearance. MFWA further calls on the international community, including regional and UN human rights bodies, to press Niger’s authorities for answers and to monitor this case closely until Kaka is found safe.
