Concerns over the fate of prominent Nigerien journalist Moussa Kaka have intensified after Human Rights Watch called on authorities to protect him and release him unless they bring a recognized criminal charge. Kaka, director general of Radio Télévision Saraounia and a former Radio France Internationale (RFI) correspondent, left his office in Niamey on August 31 for his home but did not arrive, prompting alarm over his disappearance.
Justice Minister Alio Daouda confirmed in September, while attending an international forum in Geneva, that Kaka was being held in custody. Daouda said the journalist had been detained over an alleged “offense” and would “answer before the courts,” but provided no information about the suspected offense or Kaka’s place of detention.
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Reporters Without Borders has brought the case before the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances. The organization had previously referred it to the African Union’s special rapporteur on freedom of expression and access to information.
