Who can speak on behalf of the people? The new frontiers of protest in the Sahel

September 30, 2026

Military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have systematically dismantled civic freedoms while claiming to represent popular sovereignty and national renewal. Since taking power through coups between 2020 and 2023, these regimes have dissolved all political parties across the three countries, suspended or banned over a thousand civil society organizations in Burkina Faso alone, and attacked independent media and labor unions. The juntas justify these crackdowns using rhetoric about sovereignty and fighting foreign interference, while the ongoing armed conflict with jihadist groups provides additional pretext for restricting freedoms.

Who is affected

Political parties in all three countries (dissolved)
More than 1,174 civil society organizations in Burkina Faso (suspended or dissolved)
Labor unions in Niger, particularly those representing legal professionals
Journalists and independent media outlets across all three countries
Political opposition members facing arbitrary arrests in Mali
The Niger Bar Association and lawyers
UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (expelled from Burkina Faso)
Imam Mohamed Ishaq Kindo and his followers in Burkina Faso
At least 58 unarmed civilians killed by the army in Burkina Faso
Activists and human rights organizations
Citizens seeking to protest or express dissent

What action is being taken

Malian authorities are intensifying crackdowns through arbitrary arrests and abductions attributed to the National Agency for State Security (since early May 2026)
Russian forces are supporting General Tiani's regime in Niger
CIVICUS is documenting suspended civil society organizations and added Burkina Faso to its international watch list (July 29, 2026)
Amnesty International is collecting testimonies from journalists and documenting human rights violations
Human Rights Watch is documenting restrictive measures and publishing reports on the situation
Dissent is continuing in less visible spaces including social media, satirical content, private messaging groups, and diaspora-led campaigns
Journalists continue working despite severe restrictions

Why it matters

This situation represents a fundamental democratic crisis where military regimes that came to power amid popular protests against poor governance have themselves eliminated the very mechanisms of civic participation and accountability they promised to restore. The systematic dismantling of political pluralism—including the dissolution of all political parties, suppression of civil society, and attacks on independent media—creates a paradox where governments claim to embody the people's will while silencing any dissenting voices within that same population. This raises critical questions about whether citizens can simultaneously support anti-colonial sovereignty while demanding governmental accountability, and whether those governing "on behalf of the people" will tolerate being challenged by segments of that population. The situation is particularly concerning because the ongoing armed conflict provides convenient justification for authoritarian measures, making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate security concerns and the cynical manipulation of fear to eliminate opposition.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices