Can a country still claim to have a free press when the people who report the news are no longer sure they will make it home at the end of the day? That question now hangs over Niger, where the disappearance of veteran journalist Moussa Kaka has left newsrooms and families waiting for answers — and where a mounting pattern of arrests, detentions and media suspensions has turned a simple commute home into an act of uncertainty.
A journalist leaves his office — and never arrives
In Niger, one question echoes through editorial offices and households alike: where is Moussa Kaka?
The journalist and general manager of Radio-Télévision Saraounia has not been heard from since 31 August 2026. That evening, at around 7 p.m., he left his office in Niamey to drive home. He never got there. Since then, his family, friends and colleagues have had no news.
His disappearance comes after a career spanning nearly four decades that made him one of the best-known figures in Nigerien media. A former correspondent and a familiar name in press freedom circles, he built Radio-Télévision Saraounia over the years into a recognised outlet.
Press freedom advocates have urged Nigerien authorities to do everything possible to locate the journalist and establish the circumstances of his disappearance. The case has also been referred to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
So far, no public evidence establishes that Nigerien authorities are responsible for his disappearance.
But the context surrounding the case is heavy with precedent.
The Serge Mathurin Adou case: a precedent that raises questions
In September 2024, Ivorian journalist Serge Mathurin Adou, who was based in Niamey and worked notably for Canal 3, also vanished.
He had told his wife he was responding to a summons from the judicial police. Then nothing.
For several weeks, those close to him had no idea where he was. Ivorian professional organisations raised the alarm. The Ivorian government said it was monitoring the case and making representations to Nigerien authorities.
The journalist was eventually found alive. He had been held by Nigerien authorities and was charged with “undermining state security” in a case linked to accusations of destabilising Burkina Faso.
The episode matters in today’s debate: it shows that in Niger, a journalist can be considered missing for weeks before the place of detention is officially acknowledged.
But it does not prove that Moussa Kaka’s disappearance follows the same script.
Since the coup, an increasingly difficult climate
On 26 July 2023, President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by soldiers led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.
The change of power marked a turning point for the media.
The transitional authorities moved quickly against several international outlets. Broadcasts of RFI and France 24 were suspended. Relations with a number of foreign media deteriorated.
Press freedom organisations regard the coup as a major turning point in the decline of media freedom in Niger. Since then, they have documented arrests, detentions and prosecutions targeting journalists.
In this environment, subjects deemed sensitive — the army, security, governance, international relations or the inner workings of power — have become especially difficult to cover.
Samira Sabou: a secret detention that sounded the alarm
Just weeks after the coup, the case of journalist and blogger Samira Sabou caused deep concern.
On 30 September 2023, she was arrested in Niamey by men in civilian clothes who identified themselves as police officers.
For several days, those close to her did not know where she was being held.
Press freedom advocates denounced a secret detention and demanded explanations from the authorities. Samira Sabou eventually reappeared at judicial police premises and was held for several days before being released.
Her case became one of the first symbols of the new pressure placed on journalists after the change of regime.
2024: Arrests multiply
In April 2024, Ousmane Toudou was arrested amid a tense political climate.
A journalist and former communications adviser to deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, he faced charges including accusations related to state security.
Days later, Soumana Idrissa Maïga, publication director of the daily L’Enquêteur, was taken into custody.
His arrest followed the publication of an article about the alleged presence of listening equipment in official buildings.
He was charged with “undermining national defence” and placed in detention.
After more than two months in prison, he was granted provisional release in July 2024. The Committee to Protect Journalists and other press freedom groups condemned the proceedings against him.
2025: Pressure shifts up a gear
The year 2025 confirmed the trend.
In January, Seyni Amadou, editor-in-chief of Canal 3 TV, was arrested after the broadcast of a “barometer” assessing the performance of government members.
The channel was suspended and the journalist’s press card was also targeted. He was released a few days later.
Press freedom organisations condemned the move as an attack on media freedom and called on authorities to stop pressuring news outlets.
The same month, Gazali Abdou Tasawa, a correspondent for Deutsche Welle, was arrested after a report on the living conditions of migrants and Nigerien refugees in Niamey.
His detention was described as arbitrary.
In May, three journalists from Sahara FM — Hamid Mahmoud, Mahaman Sani and Massaouda Jaharou — were arrested after a programme on military cooperation between Niger and Russia.
The Committee to Protect Journalists denounced what it called a fresh use of judicial procedures against media professionals working on sensitive topics.
Six journalists arrested in a single case
On 30 October 2025, six journalists and media professionals were arrested in Niamey: Moussa Kaka, Abdoul Aziz Idé, Ibro Chaibou, Souleymane Brah, Youssouf Sériba and Oumarou Kané.
They were prosecuted in a case linked to the circulation on social media of an invitation to a press conference.
Three of them were released under judicial supervision. The other three — Ibro Chaibou, Youssouf Sériba and Oumarou Kané — remained in detention.
Youssouf Sériba and Oumarou Kané were eventually released in July 2026.
Ibro Chaibou was released on 28 August 2026, after nearly ten months behind bars.
Just days after Ibro Chaibou’s release, Moussa Kaka disappeared.
The timeline is troubling, but on its own it does not establish a link between the two events.
Thirteen journalists arrested in 2025
According to the Media Foundation for West Africa, 13 journalists or media professionals were arrested in Niger during 2025.
The figure gives a sense of the scale of pressure on the profession. It includes not only journalists held for long periods but also those arrested and later released.
Alongside these arrests are media suspensions and restrictions targeting certain foreign outlets.
The RSF ranking as an indicator of decline
The World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders provides another gauge.
In 2025, Niger ranked 83rd out of 180 countries.
In the 2026 index, it fell to 120th place.
That is a drop of 37 places in a single year.
For press freedom advocates, this shift reflects above all the multiplication of journalist arrests, prosecutions and restrictions imposed on media since the 2023 coup.
They also highlight the impact of cybercrime legislation, which can expose journalists to criminal prosecution for certain content published online.
After the arrests, the disappearances: what is left?
Moussa Kaka’s disappearance should not be used to draw conclusions that the facts do not support.
But it comes in a context that cannot be ignored.
Since the July 2023 coup, Nigerien journalists have faced arrests, detentions, suspensions and legal proceedings.
Some were released after a few days.
Others spent months in prison.
Serge Mathurin Adou was reported missing before his detention was revealed.
And now it is Moussa Kaka who is unaccounted for.
A transparent investigation therefore appears essential.
For his family first.
For his colleagues next.
But also for Nigerien society as a whole.
Because press freedom is not measured only by the number of newspapers or radio stations allowed to operate. It is also measured by the ability of journalists to investigate, question power and report the facts without fear of being arrested, prosecuted or silenced.
In Niger, the question now goes beyond the fate of Moussa Kaka alone.
It touches on the right of citizens to be informed.
And when a journalist disappears in a context where so many others have already been arrested or detained, another question inevitably forces itself forward:
what remains of press freedom when those tasked with exercising it are no longer certain they can make it home?
