A trade union leader in Mali has reportedly been missing for three days after making public criticisms of the ruling junta, his family revealed on Monday.
Daouda Konate, head of the prison guards’ union, is said to have been taken after leaving a mosque on Friday, according to a relative who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons. A security source, also speaking anonymously, indicated that Konate is being held by the intelligence services.
Konate recently shared a video on social media condemning poor conditions and staff shortages in Malian prisons, and accusing Justice Minister Mahamadou Kassogue of having a limited understanding of the prison system. Following Konate’s disappearance, the Democratic Workers’ Confederation of Mali (CDTM) expressed deep concern and called for swift government action to locate him.
Mali has faced a series of challenges since military coups in 2020 and 2021, with growing insecurity, economic issues, and armed insurgencies in the north complicating the situation.