Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged a rights-based approach in a letter on Friday to the newly appointed African Union (AU) Special Envoy for the Sahel, Burundi President H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye. 

HRW welcomed President Ndayishimiye’s appointment as Sahel envoy, and emphasized several regional and country-specific human rights concerns, stating that human rights, civilian protection, accountability and the rule of law should be central to his mandate. 

More specifically, HRW urged the AU envoy to insist on the release of all arbitrarily detained political prisoners, including rights activist Moussa Tchangari. It also called for public reporting on civilian protection efforts and recommended that President Ndayishimiye engage with AU human rights institutions such as the AU’s Office on the Prevention of Genocide.

The AU chairperson,  João Lourenço of Angola, announced the appointment of President Ndayishimiye as its Special Envoy to the Sahel in mid-July. The appointment is intended to spearhead renewed diplomatic engagement in addressing security and humanitarian emergencies across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. 

Allan Ngari, Africa advocacy director at HRW, noted that while Burundi itself has a troubled human rights record, President Ndayishimiye’s appointment could “promote human rights and rights-based governance in the Sahel.” 

The Sahel region remains mired in instability following a series of coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger by military juntas since 2020. In Burkina Faso, pro-government militias and state forces have been implicated in ethnically targeted killings, particularly against Fulani communities. In Mali, reports continue of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances involving both the Malian military and affiliated foreign forces. In Niger, the post-coup junta has detained former President Mohamed Bazoum and opposition figures, revoked citizenship, and curtailed civil liberties through emergency laws and digital surveillance.

The AU’s influence in the Sahel region has waned. It has not appointed a dedicated envoy to its Bamako office since September 2023. According to the AU, a well-resourced envoy could help mend ties and revive AU relevance in the Sahel crisis, which is one of the eight priorities of the AU in 2025.  Despite counterterrorism efforts such as the G5‑Sahel Joint Force, Operation Barkhane, and UN peacekeeping (MINUSMA), conflict in the Sahel region has continued to escalate.