In the remote city of Agadez, Niger, refugees from across East and Central Africa – mainly Sudanese fleeing the war there, but also Eritrean, Chadian, Cameroonian and Central African – have been protesting for over 200 days against conditions they describe as inhuman. Many have reportedly been stranded in this desert outpost for years, living in what they call a humanitarian centre but experiencing daily hardship, threats and deprivation. Their demands are simple: safety, dignity, and the opportunity to resettle. But their pleas have, they believe, been met not with protection, but with repression.
Refugees have reported being targeted for peaceful protests with tear gas and live rounds fired by Nigerien authorities. One of the most disturbing claimed incidents involved the death of Sudanese refugee Musab Mohammed Hamad Adam, who was killed inside the Agadez camp on 25 May 2022. While UNHCR originally claimed he died as a result of a stone-throwing incident, eyewitness accounts and video footage strongly suggest he was shot by Nigerien security forces. The circumstances of his death have raised questions about the use of excessive force in the camp.
Photographic evidence and forensic commentary have lent further weight to these claims. Professor José Antonio Lorente Acosta, a forensic expert at the University of Granada, was asked to review an image of Musab’s body. He is said to have noted that while the image lacked sufficient detail for a full medical diagnosis, the visible injuries appeared to be consistent with those caused by a projectile or blunt object, rather than a stone. “Generally, the injuries appear to be consistent with the effect of a blunt object, such as a stone,” he is reported to have said. “However, it’s essential to obtain very close-up, high-resolution images to provide more information.”
Allegations of further mistreatment have emerged from the camp. Refugee testimonies claim that during repression of protests, women were subjected to sexual violence and refugees were stripped of their clothes, denied water and food, and forced to remain naked throughout the day. Others accuse Nigerien forces of firing tear gas and toxic gas into the camp, resulting in a fire that damaged shelters. If true, the physical and psychological toll of these actions has only deepened the crisis in Agadez.
In February 2025, the situation deteriorated further when the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, halted its food voucher programme at the request of the Nigerien authorities. These vouchers, typically used in local markets, were the only way for many refugees to secure food. UNHCR confirmed the pause in a public statement, saying it had complied with the Nigerien government’s request after failed attempts to establish dialogue with protest leaders.
“Refugees, especially those with specific needs, are currently enduring serious hardship without access to food vouchers,” the agency stated. “We have nonetheless been actively seeking the authorities’ permission to allow urgent resumption of this critical assistance.”
Inside the camp, however, the response was one of despair. A public message issued by the refugees during the 160th day of protest read: “We, the refugees in the humanitarian centre in Agadez, Niger, today we have 18 days of food cut off due to the continuation of the peaceful protest demanding our rights… We do not want to stay here, we want a dignified life in a safe place and an effective asylum application, a suitable environment not bad and the provision of all refugee rights and good health care, and education for our children.”
They accused UNHCR Niger of attempting to silence them by cutting off food support. “We have suffered a lot and our suffering continues until now… we have revealed that there are no human rights and no humanity in the humanitarian centre in Agadez Niger.”
Concerns over arbitrary detention have also been raised. Eight refugees – four Sudanese women, three Sudanese men and one Chadian man – were reportedly abducted from inside the Agadez camp and detained by the Nigerien authorities. Photographs and names of those detained have been shared by solidarity networks who say they fear they may be transferred to Niamey, the capital, to suppress their voices. In a WhatsApp exchange seen by AOAV, a refugee named Prince described to a UK activist the situation: “The comrades who were arrested will be removed from here,” he wrote. “UNHCR did not provide us with any lawyer. Even the judge told the refugee representative there is no arrest warrant for the detainees yet.” We cannot substantiate these claims, but they raise concerns.
If true, such detentions would be in breach of Niger’s obligations under international law. The country is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary detention and protect asylum seekers from being penalised for irregular entry.
Behind this local crisis is a global policy framework that seems to have incentivised containment over care. Since 2015, the European Union has channelled more than €145 million to Niger for migration management through its EU Trust Fund for Africa. More than 70% of this funding was conditional on reducing migration flows northward. Activists argue that this funding has contributed to a system of repression, where refugee rights are traded for European political objectives. Programmes described as “voluntary repatriation” are seen by many refugees as coercive, while access to food and healthcare is sometimes made conditional on biometric registration—data that can later be used to facilitate deportations.
The political context in Niger has only added to the sense of abandonment. Since the military coup in July 2023, the civic space has narrowed, and rights groups such as Amnesty International have warned of increasing repression. In such a climate, the voices of refugees protesting peacefully in the desert are easily dismissed.
Despite the growing evidence of abuse, the international response has remained muted. Advocacy groups are calling on the UNHCR, African Union, and European governments to act urgently. They are demanding the resumption of food assistance, the release of detainees, the provision of legal aid, and an end to donor practices that incentivise abuse.
Dr Iain Overton, Executive Director of Action on Armed Violence, said the situation was a test of Europe’s moral commitments. “
What we are seeing in Agadez is a profound failure of both refugee protection and humanitarian principles,” he said. “When aid is suspended not because of need but because of protest, it ceases to be humanitarian. When hunger replaces dialogue, it becomes repression. Europe’s borders are no longer defended by fences, but by starvation and silence.”
For now, the refugees remain in Agadez – protesting, surviving, and waiting to be heard. As their own words make clear: “We appeal to you all to save our lives. Please help us.”