Saudi Arabia: Halt Imminent Executions of Ethiopian Migrants
Scores Sentenced on Drug-Related Offenses; 3 Executed in April At least 65 Ethiopian migrants are at imminent risk of execution in Saudi Arabia for drug-related offenses, Human Rights Watch said today. Saudi authorities executed three others on April 21, 2026. “Saudi Arabia’s willingness to execute foreign migrants for nonviolent offences following trials that denied them basic due process […]
Burkina Faso’s Dubious Military Reserve Plan
Rapid Mobilization Risks Fueling Abuses, Weakening Protections Burkina Faso’s Council of Ministers adopted a draft law on April 24 to create a 100,000-strong military reserve by the end of 2026. Defense Minister Célestin Simporé framed the move as a way to rapidly mobilize citizens to respond to security threats and “embed Patriotic Defense within a logic […]
Zimbabwe: Crackdown on Student Protesters Intensifies
End Attacks; Respect Freedom of Expression Over Presidential Term Extension Zimbabwean authorities have harassed, abducted, and arbitrarily detained student leaders protesting a proposed constitutional amendment to extend presidential terms, Human Rights Watch said today. Constitutional Amendment No 3 would extend the terms of office for the president and members of parliament from five to seven […]
Uganda: Sovereignty Bill Threatens Speech, Assembly
Bill Mimics Widely Condemned Russia-Style Foreign Agents Law A bill before Uganda’s parliament that proposes sweeping controls over “foreign funding” and political activity threatens fundamental rights and could be used to shut down civil society, Human Rights Watch said today. The bill emulates laws adopted in recent years by other rights-abusing governments, which have been […]
Lack of Principled African Leadership, Action in Sudan
For three years, civilians in Sudan have borne the brunt of a conflict epitomized by widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, often amounting to atrocity crimes. Once, such a conflict would have moved continental leaders into action. But three years in, concrete measures by African states and bodies to protect civilians and […]
Ethiopia: Persecution of Tigrayans Unrelenting
Rights Abusers Still in Power in Western Tigray; Returns Unsafe (Nairobi) – Authorities and security forces in Ethiopia’s contested Western Tigray Zone are arbitrarily detaining ethnic Tigrayans and imposing a discriminatory system that severely restricts their movements, employment, and access to services, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities’ unrelenting abuses have forced Tigrayans to […]
Peaceful Protesters Face Military Trial in DR Congo
Martial Law in Ituri Province Restricts Free Speech, Assembly This week, a military court in the town of Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, will hand down a verdict in the case against three members of the citizens’ movement Lutte pour le Changement (Struggle for Change, or Lucha). The activists were arrested […]
Known, Documented, and Ignored: Confronting the International Politics of Inaction
As the world focuses on the immense civilian toll in the Middle East, other crises continue to unfold with far less attention. They are often described as “forgotten crises,” but that label is misleading. Conflicts across Africa are well documented and analyzed, and they affect countless lives. What they lack is sustained action to address […]
Appeal for AU Action in Zambia Lead Poisoning Case
Accountability Needed for Decades-Long Violations of Children’s Rights Zambia should provide accountability for its failure to clean up a contaminated mine site that is responsible for the ongoing lead poisoning of children, Human Rights Watch said today in supporting a request for African Union action to require the government and others involved to clean up […]
Mozambique: Navy Linked to Killing of Fishermen
Adopt Measures, Ensure Justice, to Protect Civilians in Conflict Areas Mozambican navy personnel appear to have unlawfully killed and injured fishermen in Mozambique’s embattled Cabo Delgado province on March 15, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. Mozambique’s Defense and Security Forces, citing security concerns linked to the ongoing armed conflict in the region, have imposed restrictions on coastal […]
