A coalition of West African NGOs is urgently calling for the immediate release of Daouda Diallo, a human rights defender from Burkina Faso who was forcibly taken in Ouagadougou on a Friday afternoon.
The incident occurred as Diallo was renewing his travel documents in front of the passport department, and there has been a notable absence of information regarding his whereabouts and the motives behind his abduction.
In a resolute statement, the Coalition citoyenne pour le Sahel is demanding the unconditional and prompt release of Dr. Daouda Diallo, coupled with assurances for his physical and psychological well-being. The organization is stressing the need for an immediate government response to this audacious abduction, which transpired openly at a public service facility.
Dr. Diallo, the Secretary General of the Collectif contre l'impunité et la stigmatisation des communautés (CISC) and the recipient of the 2022 Martin Ennals Award, known as the Nobel Prize for Human Rights Defenders, had been a vocal critic of Burkina Faso's ruling regime. His abduction raises profound concerns about the government's utilization of a decree for "general mobilization" to stifle dissenting voices in the midst of the fight against jihadism.
The Coalition citoyenne pour le Sahel vehemently asserts that the decree should not be exploited as a pretext to arbitrarily target and suppress independent voices critical of the government. Swift and decisive action is imperative to guarantee the safety and freedom of Dr. Daouda Diallo in this pressing situation.