“Our rights [human rights] are so essential to us that we may only notice them when they are taken away.” — Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Day 2025.
These words of Volker Türk are profoundly important; coming at a time when fundamental human rights that once seemed secure have come under sustained stress; globally, but especially in West Africa. All the corpus of robust international frameworks are still in effect; including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and regional instruments including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa. But a stark gap persists between law and practice.
Since January 2025, the MFWA has documented at least 223 violations of freedom of expression, a troubling reflection of the ongoing repression of press freedom and civil liberties. Journalists face harassment, threats, arrests, and even targeted killings, while media houses are restricted and peaceful protests violently suppressed.
As we mark Human Rights Day 2025, it is crucial to reflect on the challenges the region has faced over the year. The multiple military coups and political crises in West Africa have further exacerbated the incidents of human rights violations, manifesting in:
- Enforced disappearances and forceful conscriptions into the army, of civil society actors and journalists in Burkina Faso
- Abduction and unlawful detention for over a year of critical voices like Oumar Sylla, Mamadou Billo Bah, Habib Marouane Camara, and Saadou Nimaga by by military officers in Guinea;
- Arbitrary arrest and detention of Grace Koumayi Bikoyi, known for her social media activism, Honoré Sitsopé Sokpor, widely known as “Affectio” for publishing a short poem on Facebook, in Togo;
- Violent repression of protests in Togo, resulting in the death of seven individuals;
- The unresolved killing, six years on, of Ghanaian journalist Ahmed Suale, who was assassinated when unidentified assailants on motorbikes shot him multiple times on 16 January 2019;
- The unresolved circumstances of the death, five years on, of young Nigerian journalist Onifade Pelumi, who was reportedly shot and wounded by police or task‑force operatives on 24 October 2020 while he was covering the ENDSARS protest;
- Arbitrary arrest of opposition figures in Mali, including Alhassane Abba, Secretary General of the Convergence for the Development of Mali (CODEM), who was abducted on May 8 by masked gunmen identifying themselves as police officers. Since then, the authorities have provided no information about his fate or place of detention;
- Public execution by extremist groups, of influencer Mariam Cissé; for posting on TikTok short videos in support of Mali’s armed forces according to her family.
These cases are emblematic of a wider pattern of systemic repression, where governments, security forces and extremist groups increasingly target journalists, activists, and political opponents to silence dissent. Arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and unchecked violence have fostered a climate of fear that undermines accountability and erodes public trust in institutions. Such actions violate not only individual rights as enshrined in universal protocols and conventions, but also threaten the very foundations of democracy.
These alarming developments underscore that freedom of expression is not an option; it is foundational to securing the pillars of human rights, and of the values of human dignity, democratic governance, and societal progress. When voices are silenced, democracy falters. When information is controlled, accountability vanishes. Societies that fail to respect fundamental freedoms open the door to abuse of power, opaque governance, and weakened democratic institutions, denying citizens the opportunity to fully engage in public life and claim their rights.
This year’s Human Rights Day theme, “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials”, serves as a critical reminder that laws and declarations alone are insufficient; what truly matters is their implementation and the courage to hold accountable perpetrators of Human rights violations. The persistence of such violations in West Africa demands urgent attention from governments, regional bodies, civil society, and the international community. Upholding the right to speak, write, protest, and share ideas without fear is imperative.
Ensuring accountability, safeguarding journalists and activists, and protecting civic and online spaces are indispensable steps toward a region where human rights are respected, protected, and truly lived, contributing to a tangible improvement in people’s daily lives.
