Paris, Geneva, August 21, 2025. On August 7, 2025, General Mohamed Toumba, Niger’s Minister of Interior, signed five decrees ordering the dissolution of prominent unions: the Autonomous Union of Magistrates of Niger (Saman), the Union of Magistrates of Niger (Uman), the National Union of Justice Agents (Snaj), the Union of Cadres and Technical Agents of the Ministry of Justice (Syncat), and the Independent Union of Magistrates of Niger (Siman). Notably, these ministerial orders provided no official justification for their implementation.
The following day, August 8, 2025, Minister of Justice Alio Daouda held a press conference, asserting that these governmental measures were enacted due to “repeated irregularities detrimental to the proper functioning of public service.” He claimed that the unions had “deviated” from their designated roles by prioritizing “personal interests.” In response, Saman, alongside the Niger Bar Association, announced a symbolic strike for August 14 and 15, 2025, to protest these decrees.
The government’s basis for dissolving these unions appears to be an inappropriate ordinance, thereby violating both the Labor Code and the recognized freedom of association in Niger. According to a communiqué released on Saturday, August 9, 2025, by the Union of Workers’ Unions of Niger (USTN), Ordinance N°84-06 of March 1, 1984, which governs associations in Niger, applies exclusively to non-profit organizations. It is not relevant to trade unions, which are subject to a distinct legal framework, specifically the Labor Code of the Republic of Niger (Law N°2012-45 of September 25, 2012) and international conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) ratified by Niger. Lacking a proper legal foundation, these dissolutions are therefore invalid and unenforceable against the unions.
Magistrates associated with these unions, who courageously spoke out against these unlawful dissolutions, subsequently faced severe executive sanctions. On August 14, 2025, Niger’s President, Abdourahamane Tiani, issued a presidential decree to dismiss and exclude Mr. Abdoul-Nasser Bagna Abdourahamane, Secretary-General of Saman, from the magistracy. This punitive action followed Abdoul-Nasser Bagna Abdourahamane’s criticisms of the judicial union dissolutions on August 7, 2025, and his request for a right of reply after the Minister of Justice’s August 8 press briefing. Less than 24 hours later, on August 15, 2025, President Tiani issued another presidential decree, dismissing and excluding Mr. Moussa Mahamadou, Saman’s Deputy Secretary-General, from the judicial body. This dismissal was a direct consequence of a union communiqué, signed by Moussa Mahamadou, which condemned the sanction against his superior and called for a general strike—a move deemed illegal by Nigerien authorities—until Abdoul-Nasser Bagna Abdourahamane’s reinstatement.
The dissolution of justice sector unions raises profound concerns regarding the separation of powers and the autonomy of the judiciary, both crucial pillars of a democratic state. These administrative dissolution decisions represent a grave infringement upon fundamental liberties, particularly the freedom of association, which is enshrined in Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Niger is a signatory, and Article 36 of Niger’s Charter of Refoundation of March 26, 2025. The Niger Bar Association, for its part, denounced “the compromise of trade union freedom, judicial independence, freedom of expression, and even, to some extent, the right to defense.”
These measures also violate the right to trade union freedom, safeguarded by several international commitments made by Niger. These include Articles 10 and subsequent provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Articles 21 and 22 of the ICCPR, ILO Convention N°87 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise (ratified by Niger in 1961), ILO Convention N°98 concerning the Application of the Principles of the Right to Organise and to Bargain Collectively (ratified by Niger in 1962), and Article 38 of Niger’s Charter of Refoundation of March 26, 2025. These instruments collectively guarantee the right of workers and employers to establish organizations for the protection of their professional interests.
The Observatory notes with deep apprehension that these dissolution and dismissal decisions are part of a broader effort to intimidate and silence the judiciary. These actions occur within a climate marked by the shrinking of civic space and repeated assaults on the fundamental rights of all dissenting voices. On numerous occasions, the rights to freedom of expression, opinion, association, assembly, and demonstration have been violated, notably through arbitrary arrests and detentions of human rights defenders. Among them is Mr. Moussa Tchangari, who has been arbitrarily detained for nearly nine months, particularly after attending a meeting of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and criticizing the Nigerien Interior Minister’s decision to revoke the licenses of two humanitarian organizations.
The Observatory reiterates that safeguarding trade union rights and upholding judicial independence are essential cornerstones of the rule of law and democracy. The Observatory urges Nigerien authorities to promptly revoke the dissolution decrees targeting the five justice sector unions and to immediately reinstate Abdoul-Nasser Bagna Abdourahamane and Moussa Mahamadou to the magistracy. The Observatory condemns all forms of harassment, intimidation, or sanctions against trade unions and human rights defenders, demanding full adherence to freedom of association and trade union rights, in accordance with Niger’s national and international obligations.
