A close associate of Mali’s civilian prime minister, Boubacar Traore, who had been imprisoned for endorsing a document critical of the ruling junta, has been released, his family confirmed on Tuesday.
Traore was arrested in late May after signing a declaration that strongly condemned the military’s intention to retain power for several more years. The statement was issued by the M5-RFP movement, which supports Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga.
In early July, a Bamako court’s cybercrime unit sentenced Boubacar Traore to one year in prison for “undermining the state’s credibility”, “spreading false information likely to disrupt public order”, and “contempt of court”. However, an appeals court reduced his sentence to three months on Monday, leading to his release.
(Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP)
The M5-RFP statement is widely seen as marking a significant rift between the military leadership and the prime minister, who was appointed by the junta in 2021. Although Maiga backed the statement, he has remained in his role as head of government.
Boubacar Traore is among several public figures who have been arrested or sentenced for criticising the junta, which took power in successive coups in 2020 and 2021. Under the military regime, dissent has increasingly been suppressed.
In late June, ten opponents were imprisoned for “conspiring against the legal authorities” after they called for a return to civilian governance.
Since 2012, Mali has been mired in a political and security crisis, exacerbated by attacks from jihadist groups and other armed factions, as well as a separatist movement in the north. Although the military rulers had initially pledged to hold elections and transfer power to civilians by the end of March, these elections have since been postponed indefinitely.