Mali: Military authorities suspend activities of political parties and associations; several CSOs dissolved

Association

Suspension of the activities of political parties and associations

On 10th April 2024, the Council of Ministers adopted decree 0230/PT-RM, suspending the activities of political parties and activities ‘of a political nature’ of associations ‘until further notice’ using grounds of public order. In a press release published later that day, Minister of Territorial Administration, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, said that the measure was justified so as to ensure that the Inter-Malian Dialogue for Peace and National Reconciliation, set up on 31st December 2023, would take place in “a climate of serenity and not cacophony”. Furthermore, on 11th April 2024, Mali’s media regulator, the High Authority for Communication (HAC), invited all media to stop broadcasting and publishing the activities of political parties and associations.

The suspension follows a call on 31st March 2024 by more than 80 political parties and associations, demanding a return to constitutional order and the organisation of presidential elections. On 22nd April 2024, the signatories to the declaration of 31st March 2024 seized the Supreme Court for the annulment of the 10th April decree.

Mali’s National Commission on Human Rights (CNDH) condemned the measure as “a major attack on certain fundamental freedoms, in particular the freedoms of association, opinion and expression”.

Arrest and prosecution of opposition figures

On 20th June 2024, gendarmes arrested 11 opposition figures of the main opposition platform Plateforme d’opposition de la Déclaration du 31 mars (31 March Declaration Opposition Platform), a coalition of political opposition mobilised for a return to the constitutional order, at a private residence in Bamako, where they had reportedly gathered for a meeting. On 21st June 2024, Mohamed Ali Bathily, a former minister, was released. On 24th June 2024, the ten other opposition figures were presented before a judge and charged with ‘conspiracy against the government’ and ‘undermining public order’, among other offences.

Several associations dissolved, activities banned

Since December 2023, at least five movements or associations have been dissolved by the military authorities for their criticism:

• On 17th April 2024, the Council of Ministers dissolved the movement Coordination des organisations de l’appel du 20 février 2023 pour sauver le Mali (Coordination of the Appeal of 20th February 2023 to Save Mali), a platform of political opposition parties and civil society organisations who have been advocating for a return to constitutional order and the organisation of elections. The military authorities accuse the movement of “ostentatious actions likely to disturb public order, to undermine the sovereignty of the State and national unity”. They further said that there are limits to the laws on association and political parties, “in particular the prohibition on political parties from forming groupings in the form of associations and on associations from adopting actions contrary to the principles of sovereignty, nationality, democracy, the integrity of the national territory, national unity and the secularism of the State”.
• On 13th March 2024, the Council of Ministers dissolved student association Association des élèves et étudiants du Mali (AEEM, Association of Pupils and Students of Mali), accusing its members of violence and clashes in schools and universities. Authorities further referred to recent clashes between two factions of AEEM on 28th February 2024 at the University of Bamako, in which one person was killed and others injured. A dozen AEEM members were arrested.
• A week earlier, on 6th March 2024, the Council of Ministers dissolved the Coordination des mouvements, associations et sympathisants de l’imam Mahmoud Dicko (CMAS, Coordination of movements, associations and supporters of Imam Mahmoud Dicko), accusing it of being “a political body destabilising and threatening public security.” Malian military transitional authorities further accuse Imam Mahmoud Dicko of engaging in “subversive activities likely to disturb public order, in particular through his recent visits abroad and his official meetings with personalities of foreign powers on questions of national interest without the authorisation of the authorities of Mali.” The imam has been in Algeria since December 2023 after an alleged poisoning attempt. CMAS has been calling for a transition to civilian rule.
• On 26th March 2024, the governor of Bamako, Abdoulaye Coulibaly, banned the activities of Synergie d’action pour le Mali (Synergy of Action for Mali), a coalition of 30 opposition parties and political formations, in the district of Bamako due to ‘the security context and risks to disturb public order’. The coalition, which includes CMAS, had been calling for a path other than military rule.
• On 28th February 2024, the Council of Ministers dissolved the association Kaoural Renouveau for ‘defamatory and subversive remarks against the transitional authorities’. The association is a member of Synergie d’action pour le Mali and Appel du 20 février 2023, whose activities were later banned (see above).

As reported previously on the Monitor, the CSO Observatoire pour les élections et la bonne gouvernance (Elections and Good Governance Observatory) was dissolved by the Council of Ministers in December 2023, accusing it of having made statements of a nature to ‘disturb public order’.

Arrest and prosecution of critics and dissenting voices

Military transitional authorities continued to arrest and prosecute those criticising the state of affairs or the military junta, often using charges such as ‘disturbing public order’, ‘destabilisation of or discrediting the State’.

On 20th May 2024, economist, activist and university professor Etienne Fakaba Sissoko was sentenced to two years in prison, of which one year was suspended, and a fine of three million CFA francs (approximately 4,900 USD) after a court found him guilty of defamation, damaging the state’s reputation and distribution of fake news. He was arrested on 25th March 2024 following the publication of his book ‘Propaganda, Agitation and Harassment – Government Communication during the Transition’ in December 2023, which criticises the alleged use of propaganda in the Malian government’s public information campaign.

On 11th March 2024, journalist and activist Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, also known as Ras Bath, was sentenced, on appeal, to 18 months in prison, of which nine months were suspended, for ‘simulation of an offence’ for having alleged that former prime minister Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga had been assassinated while he was in detention. As reported previously on the Monitor, he was arrested on 13th March 2023, and was first acquitted on the charge of ‘simulation of an offence’ on 11th July 2023, but sentenced on appeal. Although he has served his sentence of nine months, Bathily remains in prison as he faces the additional charges of ‘criminal conspiracy’ and ‘discrediting the state’.

On 2nd March 2024, unidentified men abducted whistleblower gendarmerie Col. Alpha Yaya Sangaré from his home in Bamako. Since then, the military has confirmed Sangaré’s arrest. On 24th February 2024, Sangaré published the book ‘Mali: The Challenge of Terrorism in Africa’, which denounces human rights abuses by the Malian armed forces in their fight against Islamist armed groups. Following the publication of the book, Defence Minister General Daoud Aly Mohammedine had already accused Sangaré of having made ‘false accusations against the Malian armed forces’ and that he would ‘face the law’.

Arrest of trade union leader sparks strike

The arrest on 5th June 2024 of Hamadoun Bah, Secretary General of the National Union of Banks, Insurance Companies, Financial Institutions and Businesses of Mali (SYNABEF), sparked a strike in the financial sector, supported by other trade unions. Bah was arrested after a complaint was filed by a former member of the union committee accusing Bah of forging a document related to an internal union matter. Despite the withdrawal of the complaint by the complainant on 5th June 2024, Bah remained in prison until his release on 10th June 2024, which ended the strike.

Expression

Journalist Yeri Bocoum detained for 19 days after covering banned protest

Director of the Facebook news page YBC-Communication Yeri Bocoum disappeared after he covered an opposition protest by Synergie d’action pour le Mali, banned by authorities, on 7th June 2024. Unknown individuals reportedly abducted him from his home. On 28th June 2024, 19 days after he disappeared with no news about his whereabouts, Bacoum was finally released. According to information received by RFI, the journalist was held by the Malian State Security Services.

On 11th June, media were ‘invited’ by Mali’s media regulator HAC to stop broadcasting and publishing the activities of political parties and associations, a day after the Council of Ministers issued a decree suspending the activities of political parties and activities ‘of a political nature’ of associations ‘until further notice’ (see above).

Media outlet suspended for four months

In early February 2024, Mali’s media regulator HAC suspended France 2, a French public tv channel, ordering it to be withdrawn from all audiovisual packages for a period of four months. The HAC accuses France 2 of ‘glorifying terrorism’ by ‘contrasting the firepower of armed terrorist groups’ with that of the Malian army in a report by France 2 of the security situation in Mali. French media outlets RFI and France 24 had already been banned in 2022.

Peaceful Assembly

Opposition protest banned

In June 2024, opposition coalition Synergie d’action pour le Mali called for a protest on 7th June in Bamako, against power cuts and the high cost of living. The governor of the district of Bamako banned the protest, using grounds of the decree of 10th April 2024 suspending activities of political parties and activities ‘of a political nature’ of associations ‘until further notice’ (see above).

Despite the ban, dozens of people gathered on 7th June but were quickly dispersed by security forces, according to media.