Mali’s junta targets former Prime Minister, Moussa Mara
Mali's Prime Minister Moussa Mara speaks to the press at the airport in Bamako on May 18, 2014 after he traveled to the northern city of Kidal, following clashes between separatist militants and the army left dozens dead. Eight soldiers and 28 insurgents were killed in fighting on May 17 outside the regional governor's offices during Mara's visit to the desert town, the government said, adding that around 30 civil servants were being held hostage. AFP PHOTO / Fabien Offner / AFP PHOTO / FABIEN OFFNER
Political freedoms face yet another blow in Mali as an investigation into a former Malian Prime Minister, one of the last remaining dissenting political figures in the country, continues.
After several rounds of interrogation on July 14, the investigation into Moussa Mara resumed on the morning of July 16. According to RFI, Mara came under scrutiny after he indicated on July 4 that he had visited several opposition and civil society figures in prison.
Though Colonel Assimi Goïta seized power in the 2020 coups on promises of restoring democracy to the country, Mali’s political space has instead narrowed. In May 2025, the junta dissolved all remaining political parties, effectively criminalizing formal opposition.
Soon after, a young activist, El Bachir Thiam, was abducted by State Security along with other pro-democracy activists. Though Thiam had ties to the opposing Yelema party, he was not a prominent politician, underscoring the depth of Mali’s repression.
As it stands, Mara is one of the last remaining politicians of the ancien rĂ©gime in the country who dares to criticize the transitional government. In response, the government has long levied accusations against him of “undermining the credibility of the state,” “attempted destabilization,” or “opposition to legitimate authority.”
In his post, Mara described these figures, some of whom have been held for several years, as “prisoners of conscience,” a term which highlights the political nature of their detention.
Mara wrote: “As long as the night lasts, the sun will obviously eventually appear! And we will fight by all means to make this happen and as soon as possible!”–comments that caught the attention of the Attorney General and the prosecutor of the anti-cybercrime judicial unit at the court of Commune IV of Bamako.
While at this stage, Mara has not been formally accused of anything, the anti-cybercrime judicial unit has made the prosecution and conviction of dissenting voices its specialty. According to RFI, this has caused concern for many of Mara’s relatives.
Still, in a post on X on July 15, Mara urged his supporters to “remain calm and above all let us stay behind the Lord!”
RFI/ Maghrebi
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