A prominent opposition leader in Mali will stand trial next month for criticising the country’s military rulers, as tensions escalate over a plan to dissolve political parties and delay a return to civilian rule. The arrest of Mamadou Traoré, a vocal critic of the junta, comes amid protests in Bamako and growing calls for democratic elections.
Traoré, known as “the King”, leads the Alternatives for Mali party and is part of the opposition coalition Jigiya Koura. He was arrested on 24 April and transferred to Dioïla prison, 160km from the capital. His trial is set for 12 June.
Traoré is charged with “undermining the credit of the state” and “spreading knowingly false news likely to disturb public order”.
The charges stem from an interview posted online on 22 April in which Traoré accused members of the National Transition Council – appointed by the junta – of enriching themselves at public expense.
He claimed they were receiving “billions” in salaries intended for elected MPs, while working “for their personal interest and not for the homeland”.
Traoré also questioned the legitimacy of the 2023 constitutional referendum and condemned the council’s silence over threats to ban political parties. “Not keeping your word is an insult to the honour of Malians,” he said during the interview.
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Widening crackdown
This is not Traoré’s first run-in with the authorities. Last year, he was jailed for more than five months along with 10 other political leaders after holding a meeting during a nationwide suspension of political activity.
In April, another member of his party was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 650,000 CFA francs after calling Mali’s military rulers “juntas” and urging resistance to what he called the “anarchic regime of Assimi Goïta”.
Goïta seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021. Last month, a government-backed national dialogue recommended naming him president for a renewable five-year term. The same forum also proposed dissolving all political parties – a move that has fuelled anger among opposition groups.
First major rally
On Saturday, hundreds of activists defied threats and gathered in Bamako in the first major pro-democracy demonstration since the 2020 coup. Protesters met outside the Palais de la Culture after police blocked access to the venue, which had been occupied earlier by pro-military supporters.
“Any attempt to limit, suspend or dissolve political parties is a direct attack on the constitution and the sovereignty of the Malian people,” protest organisers said in a statement.
The following day, civic and political leaders held a press conference demanding a “rapid and credible return to constitutional order through the organisation of transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections”, said organiser Cheick Oumar Doumbia.
Police forced them to leave, citing risks of confrontation with junta supporters.
Opposition parties are now planning another rally in Bamako on 9 May. “We are taking it up a notch to demonstrate our capacity for mobilisation,” one party leader told local media.
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Rising alarm
Last week, Mali’s transitional government issued a decree in the Council of Ministers to repeal the law governing political parties. The move followed the conclusions of the national dialogue and has drawn warnings from rights groups.
“There is a real risk of increased tensions if political parties continue to face pressure,” Mamouni Soumano, a political analyst at Kurukanfuga University in Bamako, told the Associated Press.
The opposition coalition has called for the release of all political prisoners and a return to civilian rule by 31 December 2025.
Human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) have condemned what they describe as repeated attacks on basic freedoms during the transition period.
They say arrests, censorship and legal pressure are being used to silence dissent.
Mali’s military-led government has also cut ties with traditional Western partners and forged closer relations with Russia.
