(Nairobi) – Throughout 2025, several West African nations witnessed a sharp decline in civil liberties as military regimes tightened their grip on power, according to findings released in the World Report 2026.

Across the Sahel and in Nigeria, both government-aligned forces and Islamist armed groups have repeatedly targeted civilians and essential infrastructure. Meanwhile, Sahelian juntas have actively sidelined international oversight and weakened mechanisms meant to ensure accountability for human rights abuses.

“Military leaders in the Sahel are aggressively suppressing freedom of expression and other fundamental rights, showing little interest in returning to democratic governance,” noted Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Coordinated regional action is essential to compel West African authorities to restore political space and uphold the rights of their citizens.”

The 36th edition of the World Report provides a comprehensive review of human rights conditions in over 100 countries. Executive director Philippe Bolopion emphasizes that countering the global surge in authoritarianism is the defining challenge of our time. He urges civil society and democratic nations to form strategic alliances to protect human rights against increasing pressure from global powers.

• Authorities in Mali and Niger have pushed to extend their transitional periods by five years while banning multiparty politics. Chad has moved to remove presidential term limits entirely.
• Government crackdowns on dissent and media freedom persist. In Burkina Faso and Mali, journalists and activists face arbitrary detention, forced disappearances, and illegal conscription. In Nigeria, authorities frequently utilize cybercrime legislation to prosecute critics and social media users. Former President Mohamed Bazoum remains detained in Niger without trial, while in Chad, opposition leader Succès Masra received a 20-year prison sentence on politically motivated charges.
• Militant groups, including the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), continue to massacre civilians across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Reports also indicate that national armies and the Russia-backed “Africa Corps” (formerly Wagner Group) have conducted summary executions of civilians from the Peul ethnic group.
• Nigeria is experiencing a resurgence of Boko Haram factions in Borno State, alongside ongoing kidnappings and raids by criminal gangs in the northwest, highlighting the state’s failure to protect its citizens.
• Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have further isolated themselves by withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and signaling an exit from the International Criminal Court (ICC), significantly limiting justice for victims of violence.

Human Rights Watch calls for the African Union and international bodies to take more decisive action in defending civilian populations and upholding human rights standards.