Moussa Kaka Missing Niger Coup: CPJ Demands Probe Into Disappearance

• Moussa Kaka, CEO of Radio Télévision Saraounia (RTS), has been missing in Niger since August 31, shortly after an attempted coup was foiled.
• The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is urging Nigerien authorities to investigate his disappearance, which occurred after he left work in Niamey.
• Kaka's family has filed a statement with judicial police, and his lawyer, Boudal Effred Mouloul, is pursuing legal steps.
• Journalists in Niger have faced increased pressure since the military took power in 2023, a climate Kaka has experienced previously, including a brief arrest in October 2025.
• Kaka has a history of arrests and intimidation, including a 379-day imprisonment in 2008 on anti-state charges related to his reporting.

The current disappearance of Moussa Kaka is not an isolated incident in his long and distinguished career.

Moussa Kaka, the respected CEO of the Radio Télévision Saraounia (RTS) group, has been reported missing in Niger since August 31, a disappearance that occurred just days after an attempted coup was successfully thwarted in the West African nation. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urgently called upon Nigerien authorities to take immediate action to locate the prominent Niger journalist Moussa Kaka, whose sudden absence has caused significant distress among his family and colleagues.

According to an RTS journalist, who spoke anonymously due to fears of reprisal, Kaka was last observed departing from his workplace in Niamey, the capital, in his personal vehicle on the evening of August 31. Both his vehicle and his mobile phones are currently unreachable. Moussa Ngom, the CPJ's representative for Francophone Africa, underscored the gravity of the situation, stating that the suspicious circumstances surrounding the Radio Télévision Saraounia CEO missing demand a swift investigation into his whereabouts to ensure his safe return and ability to resume his professional duties.

In response to the disappearance, Kaka's family has formally lodged a statement with Niamey's judicial police, initiating a request for an official investigation into the matter. Boudal Effred Mouloul, Kaka's lawyer, confirmed that while they have not yet located his client, they are actively pursuing all appropriate legal avenues pertinent to such a situation. This development unfolds against a backdrop of escalating tensions in Niger, following the military's suppression of an attempted coup by mutinous soldiers on August 29.

Since the military assumed power in 2023, journalists in Niger have experienced a marked increase in pressure. This climate is not new to Kaka; in October 2025, he was briefly detained and faced charges, alongside five other journalists, for "disseminating data likely to disturb public order." This accusation stemmed from allegations that he sent an invitation for a government news conference to an exile associated with the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. Ibro Chaibou, the RTS newsroom manager and the last journalist held in connection with that specific case, was released on August 28 after ten months in detention. Efforts by the CPJ to obtain comments from the ministry of communication and email to Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Technological Innovation Mamadou Saidou have gone unanswered.

The current disappearance of Moussa Kaka is not an isolated incident in his long and distinguished career. As a former correspondent for Radio France Internationale (RFI) before its ban in Niger, Kaka has repeatedly faced arrests, threats, and intimidation. His history includes a significant period of incarceration in 2008, when he was held for 379 days on anti-state charges directly linked to his reporting on years of unrest in northern Niger.

This pattern of targeting a prominent Niger journalist like Kaka raises profound concerns about CPJ Niger press freedom, especially in the volatile post-coup environment. His ongoing disappearance underscores the severe risks faced by media professionals in the country and highlights the urgent need for transparency and accountability from Nigerien authorities regarding the safety and freedom of journalists.

Lawyers advising clients with personnel or interests in Niger, especially in media or human rights sectors, should note the increased risks of arbitrary detention or disappearance post-coup and understand the legal avenues available for intervention, such as filing statements with judicial police.

Source: Original reporting via Committee to Protect Journalists