Source: Amnesty International –
The military regimes in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger are working to silence any criticism of the authorities in power. To suppress dissenting voices, the defence and security forces regularly resort to enforced disappearances and unlawful detentions, as confirmed by Amnesty International’s latest Annual Report.
Since 9 July 2024, two Guinean activists from the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (Front national pour la défense de la Constitution, FNDC), a movement calling for a return to constitutional order, have been victims of enforced disappearances. Mamadou Billo Bah and Oumar Sylla, also known as ‘Foniké Menguè,’ were abducted from the latter’s home on the eve of a day of protests against the high cost of living and advocating for a return to civilian rule. According to the testimony of Mohamed Cissé, another activist arrested with them and released two days later with serious injuries, they were taken into detention to a location somewhere on the archipelago of the Îles de Los, off the coast of Conakry by elements of the defence and security forces. The authorities deny detaining Mamadou Billo Bah and Oumar Sylla, and their fate remains unknown to this day.
The worst can happen to victims during this out-of-control journey.