Abduction of Guinean Journalist’s Father Raises Alarm Over Press Intimidation

October 07, 2025 – Guinea – 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is urging Guinean authorities to take swift action after the 75-year-old father of exiled journalist Mamoudou Babila Keita was abducted by unidentified individuals. The kidnapping took place on September 29, 2025, in Nzérékoré, southeastern Guinea. Witnesses said two men approached Elhadj Adama Keita outside his residence, grabbed him by the neck, forced him into a vehicle, and fled the scene.

The day before, unknown individuals were reportedly seen asking for the “family of Babila Keita,” a detail suggesting the abduction was premeditated and targeted. Keita, who has lived in exile since July 2024, believes the kidnapping was a direct reprisal for his journalistic work, which includes reporting and commentary critical of Guinea’s military transitional authorities.

The Nzérékoré prosecutor opened a formal investigation on October 1, instructing law enforcement to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative, Moussa Ngom, described the incident as a clear attempt to intimidate Keita and other members of the press.

Keita has faced escalating threats since the military coup in 2021, which severely eroded media freedoms in Guinea. In May 2024, the national media regulator suspended Inquisiteur, Keita’s outlet, following a complaint from a former minister. He previously survived a kidnapping attempt by armed men in military uniforms.

The abduction also follows other troubling incidents, including the disappearance of journalist Habib Marouane Camara, who was taken by men in military attire in December 2024 and remains missing.

CPJ warns that the incident reflects a growing climate of intimidation ahead of Guinea’s December 2025 elections. It has called for the immediate and safe release of Adama Keita and urged authorities to ensure journalists and their families are protected from targeted reprisals. The organization stressed that attacks against relatives of journalists undermine press freedom and create a climate of fear that silences critical reporting.

Reference – 

Elderly father of Guinean journalist Mamoudou Babila Keita abducted