Mali has jailed former Prime Minister Moussa Mara on charges of inciting public disorder and undermining state authority after he publicly expressed support for imprisoned government critics.
Mara, who briefly served as Prime Minister from 2014 to 2015, drew the attention of Malian authorities after visiting jailed opponents of the ruling military government. On July 4th, he posted on X (formerly Twitter), expressing “unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience.” In the post, Mara stated his visits were meant to ensure “the flame of hope never fades in them,” adding, “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!”
The post was deemed offensive by Mali’s national cybercrime unit, particularly for referring to the detainees as “prisoners of conscience” and declaring an intention to “fight” on their behalf.
Following multiple summons for questioning regarding the post, Mara was detained on Friday, formally charged on Saturday, and placed in pre-trial detention. He faces several charges, including undermining the credibility of the state, opposing legitimate authority, inciting public disorder, and spreading false information. His trial is set to begin on September 29th.
Mali has been ruled by a military junta since two coups in 2020 and 2021. In May, the government dissolved all political parties, and in June, General Assimi Goïta was granted a five-year presidential term, consolidating military control and deepening a crackdown on dissent.
The arrest of Mara comes amid ongoing political repression and growing instability in the country, which continues to battle a long-running civil war against Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists. In June, Russia’s Ministry of Defense deployed its Africa Corps to Mali to replace the Wagner Group in combat operations. Moscow has accused Ukrainian intelligence of providing support to jihadist elements in the region.