RSF - Reporters sans frontières
RSF - Reporters sans frontières
04/28/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/28/2026 09:59
RSF files complaint against Benin and Côte d’Ivoire before the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Sossoukpè case
Thanks to its extensive groundwork - which combined investigative reporting with strategic litigation - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has referred the case of Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè to the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The case concerns the roles Côte d'Ivoire and Benin played in the abduction, illegal detention and forced transfer of the investigative journalist from Abidjan, the former Ivorian capital, to Cotonou, Benin's largest city, in July 2025, as well as the subsequent arrest of Ali Moumouni, the former journalist accused of being his collaborator.
"Abducted, exfiltrated in a private plane, arbitrarily detained, attempts to identify sources… What happened to Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè - followed by the arrest of Ali Moumouni for being Sossoukpè's "collaborator" - sounds like it was taken from a bad action movie. Unfortunately, it wasn't. RSF investigations have exposed the sinister machinations of the Beninese and Ivorian authorities in orchestrating the arrest of a journalist who had refugee status - an absolutely unprecedented incident in the region in recent years - as well as that of one of his colleagues. Given the gravity of the situation, RSF is referring the matter to the ECOWAS Court of Justice so that West Africa's highest court recognises the serious violations of the law committed by Côte d'Ivoire and Benin and secures the release of both journalists.
Arnaud Froger
Head of the RSF Investigations Desk
Both an unprecedented abduction and an arbitrary arrest took place within the space of one week in July 2025. Did Benin and Côte d'Ivoire join forces to deliberately persecute journalists? The ECOWAS Court of Justice - a West African intergovernmental organisation - will now have the opportunity to rule on this question. RSF filed the case on 24 April, through its lawyer Koffi Sylvain Mensah Attoh, to denounce the serious failings that led to the imprisonment of Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè, founder of the independent investigative outlet Olofofo, and former journalist Ali Moumouni.
In its complaint, RSF argues that Côte d'Ivoire not only violated refugee protection law, but also press freedom and the fundamental right of the public to information, by handing over Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè - who had been a political refugee in Togo since 2021 - to the Beninese authorities without any legal oversight on 10 July 2025. The Beninese state, identified by an RSF investigation as the instigator of this extraordinary abduction, is also accused of acting illegally, in addition to arbitrarily detaining both journalists.
"Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè was the victim of abduction, unlawful detention, forced transfer and handover carried out without any legal pretext. Along with Ali Moumouni, he was also subjected to an arbitrary arrest. They have been unjustly held in Beninese prisons for nearly nine months now. RSF calls for their immediate release and full reparations for the harm they have both suffered.
Sadibou Marong
Director, RSF Sub-Saharan Africa
In July 2025, Olofofo founder Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè was targeted by an operation devised by senior Beninese officials and made possible by the complicity of the Ivorian authorities. After being invited by Côte d'Ivoire's Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitalisation to cover an event, the journalist was abducted in Abidjan by Beninese officers and flown in a private plane to Cotonou, Benin. The state affair disguised as judicial cooperation is characterised by numerous irregularities and "serious failings," reported at the highest level of the Ivorian State, as previously revealed by RSF.
The journalist is also being held in particularly harsh conditions, having been subjected to strict solitary confinement until early January - a period of seven months. Moreover, it was only from early 2026 that he was allowed brief visits from loved ones. He is being prosecuted for "harassment via a computer system," "rebellion" and "apology for terrorism."
A second journalist detained for nine months
Unfortunately, the case does not end with this covert cross-border operation involving police and intelligence services, and Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè is not the sole victim. In November 2025, RSF revealed another arrest, which occurred six days after that of the Olofofo director. Arrested on 16 July in Cotonou while delivering training in a secondary school, Ali Moumouni - a former journalist with the private broadcaster Canal 3 - was accused of collaborating with the media outlet led by Hugues Comlan Sossoukpè since September 2024. Placed in pretrial detention five days after his arrest, he faces five charges, including "incitement to violence and rebellion", "harassment via electronic communications" and "apology for terrorism".
Detained alongside other prisoners, Ali Moumouni is allowed to see his lawyer and two family members. His first hearing, which was interrupted due to health issues, took place on 25 March, more than eight months after his placement in pretrial detention at the civil prison of Cotonou. Questioning resumed in mid-April.
Published on 28.04.2026
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