Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the African Union (AU) to take immediate action against the Mali junta’s growing political repression, highlighting a surge in arrests and forced disappearances targeting opposition figures and activists.
Since taking power through two successive coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s military rulers have been accused of using force to silence critics, dissolve civil society groups, and stifle the media.
In a letter to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, HRW reported that at least 11 individuals—including opposition politicians—are currently detained on politically motivated charges.
One of the most alarming cases is Daouda Magassa, a junta critic and member of a group advocating for presidential elections and a return to civilian rule.
HRW alleges Magassa was kidnapped by men in civilian clothes in Bamako on February 5, urging his immediate release.
Allan Ngari, HRW’s Africa advocacy director, called on Malian authorities to allow AU commissioners to investigate the enforced disappearances.
Mali’s military government initially pledged to cede power to civilians by March 26, 2024, following a presidential election set for February.
However, the junta has indefinitely postponed the vote, causing domestic and international backlash.
At the end of January, several Malian political parties demanded a new electoral calendar for the restoration of civilian rule before March 31.
