General
Mali’s transition to civilian rule has been at a stalemate. The process recently witnessed a significant setback on 29th April 2025 when a national consultation, boycotted by most of the political class recommended appointing military junta leader Assimi Goïta as the ‘President of the Republic’ for a renewable five-year term until 2030, effectively bypassing elections. Goïta’s determination to remain in power contradicts his commitment to conduct elections and reinstate multi-party governance following his most recent coup in 2021. The situation is further intensified by the introduction of laws suspending activities of parties, and related associations nationwide, negatively affecting civic space severely. The decision to suspend political parties and their activities has sparked protests.
The suspension of activities of parties coincided with an alarming increase in reported cases of enforced disappearances of political activists. Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that on 8th May 2025, Abba Alhassane, the 68-year-old secretary general of the opposition party Convergence for the Development of Mali (Convergence pour le développement du Mali, or CODEM), and Bachir Thiam, a leader of The Change party (Le changement, or YELEMA), were abducted by unidentified individuals. According to HRW, these leaders were targeted for their opposition to the military regime’s April decision to suspend political parties and to extend General Assimi Goïta’s rule. El Bachir’s abduction has been reportedly attributed to his outspoken criticism of the military regime and his advocacy for a return to constitutional order and democracy in Mali. The military regime is alleged to have perpetrated most of these abductions, further undermining the prospects for democratic governance in Mali.
ASSOCIATION
MALI’S JUNTA PASSES NEW LAW SUSPENDING POLITICAL PARTIES
On 30th April 2025 in Bamako, the National Transition Council (CNT), chaired by Assimi Goïta, head of Mali’s ruling junta, adopted a bill that abolished multiparty politics across the country. On 7th May 2025, Assimi Goïta signed decree n°2025-0318/PT-RM suspending the activities of all political parties until further notice. The military regime stated that the decree was intended to be applied to all political parties nationwide, and to the activities of related associations. The government justified this decision by claiming it will help avert destabilising activities and uphold public order in accordance with existing laws. On 12th May 2025, the CNT, in a meeting led by General Malick Diaw, revoked the Charter of Political Parties (CPP) and the status of the political opposition. The CPP, codified in Law 05-047 of August 18, 2005, outlines the processes involved in party formation, the ethical standards to which parties must adhere to, and stipulates the regulatory parameters surrounding their operation and fiscal management.
On 13th May 2025, through presidential decree 2025-0339 PTRM, Assimi Goïta dissolved about 300 political parties and, prohibited all meetings or activities of dissolved parties, prescribing penalties for non-compliance. Malian courts rejected appeals by political parties against their dissolution by presidential decree, upholding the ruling junta’s decision despite claims of freedoms and rights violations.
Following the decision to suspend the activities of political parties and associated institutions, on 14th May 2025, Mamani Nassiré, the Minister Delegate for Political Reform, said in a press conference that there would be a new law relating to the creation and functioning of future political parties. According to reports, the prospective law will reportedly envision a significant reduction in the number of political parties and an end to the political practice of alternating between two major parties.
Freedom of association has come under sustained assault under the military authorities. As far back as December 2022, for example, the military regime suspended activities of civil society organisations (CSOs) financed or supported by France and passed new regulations with stringent control over CSOs activities. Additionally, in December 2023, military authorities threatened an opposition party with dissolution after the party’s leader was accused of being hostile to the transitional regime. Furthermore, as previously reported by CIVICUS Monitor, between February and April 2024, the military regime suspended the activities of political parties and associations while several CSOs were dissolved on grounds of public order. However, on 10th July 2024, the military regime had re-authorised political parties and associations to resume their activities.
International organisations have condemned the decision by the military regime to dissolve political parties, related associations and activities of a political nature. On 8th May 2025, a group of independent United Nations experts, including UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and association Gina Romero, issued a joint statement condemning the bill abolishing multiparty politics and the decree suspending the activities of all political parties, calling for both the bill and the decree to be revoked.
CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVIST ABDUCTED
On 14th March 2025 in Bamako, unknown individuals abducted civil society leader, Aliou Badra Sacko, president of the Front Touche pas à mon argent and coordinator of de l’Appel du 20 février for opposing the new mobile money tax. Sacko was participating in a meeting aimed at developing strategies to counteract the newly introduced taxes on telecommunications and mobile money, when unidentified individuals, reportedly state security officers abducted and detained him in a secret State Security prison. Aliou Badra Sacko was released two months later.
POLITICAL OPPOSITION LEADER DETAINED FOR CRITICISING THE MILITARY REGIME
On 24th April 2025, in Bamako, law enforcement officers arrested Mamadou Traoré, the opposition leader and head of the Alternative pour le Mali party, at his home. This arrest followed allegations by the Cybercrime Unit that he had deliberately disseminated false information and disrupted public order. These charges stemmed from a controversial interview posted online on 22nd April 2025, in which Traoré criticised members of the junta-appointed NTC for allegedly enriching themselves at the public’s expense and questioned the legitimacy of the 2023 referendum. He was detained at Dioïla prison, on 25th April 2025, pending his trial on 12th June 2025. In reaction to Mamadou’s arrest and detention, the Espérance Nouvelle Jigiya Kura platform, a political coalition where Mamadou Traoré holds significant influence, condemned the arrest and demanded his immediate release.
PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY
PROTESTS AGAINST MILITARY JUNTA FOLLOWING BAN ON POLITICAL PARTIES
Between 3rd and 9th May 2025, there was a surge of anti-junta protests in Bamako as hundreds of individuals took to the streets to call for the end of Assimi Goïta’s military rule and push for democratic changes. These protests were sparked by a decree issued by the government on 30th April 2025, which proposed the dissolution of all political parties and an extension of Assimi Goïta’s rule to 2030. On 3rd and 4th May 2025 thousands of people gathered to protests against the proposed bill to dissolve political parties. The police reportedly dispersed protesters using tear gas. On 5th May 2025, civil society actors and opposition leaders held a press conference to call for “a rapid and credible return to constitutional order through the organisation of transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections”. Demonstrations planned for 9th May 2025 by political parties and civil society organisations were postponed due to concerns about potential retaliation from the military regime.
PROTEST OVER ALLEGED SHOOTING DOWN OF DRONE BY ALGERIA
On 8th April 2025 in Bamako, dozens of people gathered in front of the Algerian embassy to protest against ‘‘aggression by Algeria’’ and express their dissatisfaction following allegations of the shooting down of a Malian reconnaissance drone near the border by Algerian forces. The incident escalated into diplomatic friction between the two countries, prompting both nations to recall their ambassadors. No major incident was reported.
PROTESTERS ARRESTED DURING PEACEFUL GATHERING TO CELEBRATE RETURN OF PROMINENT CRITIC IMAM MAHMOUD DICKO
On 14th February 2025 in Bamako, law enforcement officers reportedly arrested and detained about ten individuals, including an elderly man, followers of Imam Mahmoud Dicko, a prominent critic of the ruling military regime, during preparations to welcome the return of Dicko, who had been living in exile. Some of those detained were apprehended from their homes, others at the site of the public gathering. Of those arrested, the elderly man was set free without charge, while the others remained in custody. Before Dicko’s return, on 5th February 2025, Daouda Magassa, a close ally of Imam Dicko, was abducted by unknown individuals and subsequently released on 11th March 2025. Due to the heavy presence of security forces in Bamako and concerns about potential violence upon Imam Dicko’s return, the latter postponed his arrival. Imam Mahmoud Dicko is the head of the High Islamic Council of Mali known for his opposition to the ruling military junta regime.
PROTESTS OVER ALLEGED EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS BY MALIAN ARMY
On 13th and 14th May 2025 in Diafarabé locality in Mopti Region, several dozen individuals, including women and children, staged a peaceful two-day protest in front of the Diafarabé military base to denounce the extrajudicial execution of at least 20 civilians, allegedly by the Malian army on 12th May. At the same time, other demonstrators headed to the Diafarabé town hall to demand clarity regarding the fate of the arrested men. The Malian army reportedly arrested the 20 executed civilians during a military operation in the locality, and took them to an unknown destination. The UN has urged the Malian government to investigate the allegations and the Malian army has reportedly opened investigations.
EXPRESSION
IMAM JAILED FOR DISSENTING ON ARMY’S RAMADAN PRACTICES
On 24th January 2025 in Bamako, officers of the National Cybercrime Unit arrested Imam Dr. Sekou Sidibé and placed him in custody at the Bamako Central Prison on charges of inciting violence, disturbing public order and attempting to demoralise the national army. The arrest followed a video that went viral on social media of Sidibé’s sermon of 17th January 2025, in which he made inflammatory statement against military trainers and leadership for conducting recruit training during Ramadan, arguing it prevented young Muslims from fasting. On 3rd April 2025, the Cybercrime Court sentenced Imam Dr. Sekou Sidibé to a two-year prison term and ordered him to pay a fine of 1.5 million FCFA (approximately 2,600 United States Dollar (USD)).
MEDIA REGULATOR SUSPENDS MEDIA OUTLETS
On 9th May 2025 in Bamako, the High Authority for Communication (HAC) suspended and withdrew the international television channel, TV5-Monde from the packages of all distributors of audiovisual programmes authorised on national. The sanctions were imposed after the HAC accused the TV5-Monde of not adhering to principles of impartiality and neutrality in disseminating information concerning the ongoing situation in the country following the military authorities’ suspension of political parties and their activities. The regulatory body specifically criticised TV5-Monde for focusing only on public demonstrations and opinions without offering corresponding information to clarify the government’s viewpoint on the prevailing events.
On 10th November 2024 in Bamako, HAC suspended JOLIBA TV News, a local private television channel, for six months following a complaint submitted to the HAC by Burkina Faso authorities. On 12th November 2024, Burkina Faso’s Conseil Supérieur de la Communication (CSC) lodged a complaint against JOLIBA TV concerning alleged offensive remarks made by Issa Kaou N’Djim, a prominent Malian politician, and opposition leader criticising the ruling military regime of Burkina Faso during a TV programme on 10th November 2024. On 14th November 2024, HAC summoned the programme’s host and the station’s director for a hearing, which concluded with accusations that the programme disseminated false information to the public. Consequently, JOLIBA TV’s licence was revoked on 26th November 2024. In response, the management of JOLIBA TV News filed an appeal with the HAC. On 23rd November 2024, the Maison de la presse and various other media professional organisations urged the HAC to reconsider its decision. It should be noted that JOLIBA TV had been suspended in November 2022 as previously reported by the Monitor.
JOURNALIST ARRESTED AND CHARGED FOR QUESTIONING GOVERNMENT DATA
On 9th April 2025 in Bamako, the Cybercrime Unit of the public prosecutor’s office arrested and later detained Alfousseini Togo, the publishing director of the privately-owned weekly newspaper, Le Canard de la Venise. This action followed his critique of the Ministry of Justice in a newspaper article published on 8th April 2025. In the piece titled “Malian justice or the plague of the century: the mistake made by Minister Mamoudou Kassogué”, Togo challenged the validity of a survey cited by Justice Minister Mahamadou Kassogué, which claimed that public trust in Mali’s justice system had risen “from 30% to 72% in 2024.” As a result, Mali’s Judicial Unit Against Cybercrime is charging Togo with ‘undermining the judiciary, disturbing the peace, and defamation.’ Togo was granted bail on 12th May 2025, and his trial is set for 12th June 2025.
JOURNALIST ARRESTED AND CHARGED FOR CRITICISING A FOREIGN LEADER
On 25th May 2025 in Bamako, the Cybercrime Unit arrested journalist Seydou Oumar Traoré just hours after he returned from an official visit to Kidal as part of the Minister of Defence’s delegation within the framework of a mission to cover military activities in the north of the country. He faced allegations of insulting Guinea’s interim President, General Mamady Doumbouya. Seydou Oumar claimed that General Doumbouya had ‘‘betrayed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) by collaborating with Western countries to set up terrorist bases on Guinean soil.’’ Seydou Oumar Traoré later released a video in which he apologised to the President of Guinea in the Dioula language. He is scheduled for a court hearing on 10th July 2025. In a public communique of 27th May 2025, Yao Noel, president of the l’Union des Journalistes de la Presse Libre Africaine (UJPLA) called for the immediate release of Seydou Oumar.
PRESS FREEDOM UNDER THREAT AS LICENCE FEES SOAR
On 31th December 2024 in Bamako, Mali’s media regulatory authority, the High Authority for Communication (HAC), enacted two new decrees concerning the annual fee and payment methods for private audiovisual communication services, as well as the fees for issuing licences for the establishment, operation, and modification of such services. The decrees, no 4473 and 4474, impose payments ranging from one to 20 million CFA francs (approximately between 1 to 34,160 USD) , depending on the media’s commercial status. On 8th February 2025, professional organisations representing the audiovisual and online press have demanded a suspension of the decrees concerning media licence fees, criticising the decisions for being unilateral and lacking consensus. The National Union of Young Press Publishers (UNAJEP) issued a press release on the same day, showing its supportive stance with the umbrella organisation of the audiovisual and online press challenging the two decrees.