Sahel Juntas Claim to Speak for People as Dissent Dismantled

Jean Sovon of Global Voices examines how military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have dissolved political parties, suspended civil society organizations and targeted unions while claiming to speak for the people. His analysis, part of a September 2026 Spotlight series on protest and democracy, asks whether those who govern on behalf of the people still accept hearing dissent from the streets or from exile.