The interview with Solange Marie Odile Mbaye Diouf, a health socio-anthropologist, discusses youth participation in promoting human rights in Senegal. She notes progress, including the establishment of structures dedicated to adolescents and increased youth involvement in decision-making processes. However, challenges remain, such as limited access to services and information, especially in rural areas, and sociocultural norms that hinder youth participation. Ms. Diouf recommends raising awareness about regional commissions and structures, encouraging youth to educate themselves on national and international texts and mechanisms, and ensuring effective implementation of laws by the state. She also calls for better organization of civil society to promote human rights.

Human Rights, Civil Society, Santé sexuelle

The article "Human Rights in Africa" features an interview with Alioune Tine, founder of Afrikajom Center, assessing the state of human rights on the continent. He highlights that the situation is particularly dire in conflict-affected countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where human rights violations are rampant and often committed with impunity, including by national and foreign military forces. Tine also criticizes the weakness of regional mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as the inefficacy of national institutions in countries like Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, where fundamental freedoms are under threat. He calls for strengthening democratic institutions, respecting constitutions, and better involvement of civil society to promote and protect human rights in Africa.

Conflict, Human Rights, Impunity

The article "The Democratic Backslide in West Africa" examines the regression of democratic processes in this region, once considered a model of democratization. It highlights the resurgence of military coups, notably in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which undermine political stability. Simultaneously, human rights violations are increasing, with heightened repression of dissenting voices, media censorship, and arbitrary detentions, eroding fundamental freedoms. The article sheds light on the formation of informal alliances among authoritarian leaders, fostering the perpetuation of anti-democratic practices. This situation echoes post-independence periods marked by chronic political instability. The author calls for a deep reflection on mechanisms for democratic consolidation to reverse this concerning trend.

Governance, Democracy, Human Rights, Coup d'État, Instabilité

The study commissioned by the Gorée Institute aims to analyze the civic space related to children's rights in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Senegal. Its main objective is to produce a barometer assessing the current situation, in order to determine the need for effective, evidence-based advocacy to influence policies, legal frameworks and practices in the protection of children's rights in these countries. The process involved several steps, including the establishment of indicators validated by the parties involved, the development of quantitative and qualitative statistical data collection tools, followed by an analysis focused on children's rights.

Human Rights, Enfant

Amnesty International’s 2023 annual report on Mauritania highlights several human rights concerns. In May, after the ruling party won legislative, regional and local elections, allegations of fraud were raised by some opposition parties. In December, former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sentenced to five years in prison for corruption. The report denounces cases of torture and ill-treatment, including the death in police custody of human rights defender Souvi Ould Jibril Ould Cheine in February, attributed to traumatic asphyxiation by strangulation. Freedom of expression has been restricted, with mobile internet cuts in June following protests, and during national reviews to prevent cheating. The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances has also highlighted the lack of thorough examination of proposals for a truth and reconciliation mechanism concerning human rights violations between 1989 and 1992.

Governance, Human Rights, Torture

The BTI 2024 Country Report: Mauritania by the Bertelsmann Stiftung examines President Ould Ghazouani's consolidation of power, characterized by controlling the ruling party, legally neutralizing former President Ould Abdel Aziz, and legitimizing authority through renewed official discourse. Despite improved communication, implemented policies have not led to significant changes. Economically, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have exposed Mauritania's vulnerability, relying on volatile international prices for main exports and cereal imports for food consumption. The upcoming natural gas production along the maritime border with Senegal holds promise but continues a trend of investments in the extractive sector with limited impact on the overall economy. Historically, since its independence in 1960, Mauritania has faced socio-economic and political challenges, including severe droughts in the 1970s, tensions between Arabic-speaking and non-Arabic-speaking communities, and a series of military coups.

Bribery, Security, Election, Human Rights, Hyperprésidentialisme

In “The silent threat: Kidnappings in Burkina Faso”, Flore Berger, a senior analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, outlines the evolution of the kidnapping industry in Burkina Faso. Since 2017, 97% of kidnappings have targeted Burkinabé nationals rather than foreigners . Kidnapping incidents rose dramatically—from single digits in 2017 to over 260 in 2021—becoming a tool of war and social control used to intimidate, punish, and recruit, rather than primarily for ransom . The report is based on 35 field interviews across Burkina Faso and Mali. It illustrates how kidnappings targeting local officials and civilians undermine community cohesion and strengthen armed groups. The article calls for urgent recognition of this silent threat to integrate it into security responses and stabilization strategies across the region.

Security, Human Rights, Violence, Threat