10 are jailed in Mali for wanting to return to civilian government

Ten opponents of the junta in power in Mali have been imprisoned, including prominent opposition leaders, for calling for the return of civilian governance, their attorneys told AFP on Monday.

The 10 are accused of holding unlawful assemblies and scheming against the “legal authorities,” according to the lawyers. The heads of several parties and organizations that signed a March proclamation calling for the restoration of democracy are among the groups.

Eleven people were arrested last week in Bamako, the capital, during a private meeting after demanding a return to civilian rule. Those who were jailed were among them. Political party gatherings are prohibited by the junta.

Mohamed Ali Bathily, a former minister of justice, was one among them and was freed last Saturday.

A judge ruled those incarcerated had “undermined and conspired against the legal authorities, violating a presidential decree by holding an illegal meeting”, one of their lawyers, Hyacinthe Kone, told AFP, his summary confirmed by fellow defence lawyer Mamary Diarra.

“I have not seen these offences in our penal code. It is rather the government which is illegal,” said Kone.

The opposition denounced the development as “yet another violation of fundamental freedoms” by the West African nation’s junta.

The military rulers, who seized power in 2020, had promised to organise elections and hand over power to civilians by the end of March this year but later postponed elections indefinitely.

Those detained had signed a March 31 declaration in which they condemned the “legal and institutional void” after a deadline passed for the junta to hand over power to civilians. They also demanded a presidential election.

Mali, which is also threatened by a jihadist insurgency, has been ruled by colonels since a double coup in 2020 and 2021.

The junta decreed in June 2022 that the military would cede power to civilians at the end of last March, after a presidential election scheduled for February, only to renege on the promise.

Expressions of opposition have been rare under the junta, which has taken an ever harder line on dissent, including banning political party activities until further notice.

AFP