Mali’s ex-PM charged with undermining the state

Mali’s military government has charged one of the country’s former prime ministers with crimes against the state, following his post on X.

As the BBC reported on August 2nd, the prior head of state, Moussa Mara, was detained for a second time by the national cybercrime unit. The government department found his X post, in which he spoke out against the junta’s controversial arrests, to be a criminal offence.

The post said: “As long as the night lasts, the sun will inevitably rise! And we will fight by all means to make that happen, and as soon as possible!” he also stated his “unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience.”

The prosecutor stated the grounds for his incarceration were based on Mara’s reference to “prisoners of conscience,” and his supposed inclination to fight for them. He was charged with undermining the credibility of the state, opposing legitimate authority, and inciting public disorder.

The ex-prime minister is set to face trial on September 29th.

Maghrebi.org reported on this incident when the original investigation was opened on July 16th. Mara went through several rounds of interrogation after he visited multiple opposition and civil society figures in prison.

Since their rise to power from the 2020 and the 2021 coups, General Assimi Goita’s regime has made serious efforts to dissolve any dissenting voices or opposing political parties, especially after the anti-government protests.

They have made a multitude of arrests, including one incident in which state security abducted young activist, El Bachir Thiam, because of his apparent ties to the opposition Yelema party.

Another former prime minister, Choguel Maiga, was also apprehended recently, however it was apparently on the grounds of misuse of public funds during his tenure in office.

Political oppression in Mali has become an extremely concerning issue, and with Goita’s transitional government seeking to consolidate power long term, those concerns only grow.

BBC, Maghrebi.org