CounterVortex

Amnesty International urged Malian authorities to immediately release dissident Youssouf Daba Diawara and 11 other arbitrarily detained opposition politicians in a July 19 statement. According to the statement, Mali’s junta has been arbitrarily holding these political figures solely for exercising their civil rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Diawara was coordinator of the Association of Movements, Friends & Supporters of Imam Mahmud Dicko (CMAS) until it was dissolved by the authorities in March. On July 12, armed men forced him out of his car in Bamako and took him to the Gendarmerie’s Criminal Investigations Brigade. He was charged with “opposition to legitimate authority” for participating in a protest against power cuts and inflation in June. His trial is scheduled for October.

Amnesty International determined that the detention of the dissidents is arbitrary given that the Malian government had already lifted the suspension of political activities this month. In demanding the immediate release of Diawara, Amnesty’s regional director for West Africa stated:

We denounce the arbitrary detention of Youssouf Daba Diawara and other political leaders by the Malian authorities. Despite the lifting of the suspension of political activities on 10 July, there is a growing crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. The Malian authorities must immediately end their judicial harassment of opposition members and dissenting voices.

Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights provides for the right to liberty and security of person, and the prohibition of arbitrary arrest or detention. Mali ratified the covenant in 1974 and has since been a state party.

On April 10, the government of Mali, led by Col. Assimi Goïta, issued a decree instating the “suspension of political parties and political associations’ activities nationwide until further notice.” This measure was taken just days after several political parties and civil society groups called for presidential elections to be held within a short timeframe, a demand rejected by the Malian authorities, who came to power through a coup in 2020. (Jurist)

Also July 19, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed concern over the disappearance of two activists in Guinea after their arrest by the country’s security personnel. The OHCHR urged Guinea to release the activists or make clear that they have been “formally charged in accordance with established judicial procedures, guaranteeing their right to an adequate legal defence.” The office also called on authorities to launch an investigation into the disappearance of the concerned individuals and verify the kind of treatment they ave received in custody.

Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah were arrested in Conakry on July 9; fellow activist Mohamed Cisse was also arrested but was released soon after. Sylla and Billo Bah are leaders of the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC). According to the FNDC, the two activists were detained by armed soldiers who took them to an unknown destination, describing the incident as a “kidnapping.” It was further alleged that the arrests were carried out without a warrant and that proper legal procedure was not followed. OHCHR spokesperson Thameen al-Kheetan also stated that UN office received reports that the activists were “subjected to acts of torture [and] inhumane and degrading treatment.”

The arrest occurred days after the FNDC called for a mobilization to protest worsening living conditions in the country, and to demand the restoration of media outlets that have been shut down. Sylla himself had posted about the mobilization on the morning of his arrest.

The FNDC is an opposition coalition aiming to restore civilian rule in Guinea. The West African nation, whose government was overthrown by a military coup in 2021, has witnessed numerous protests in recent years. Last October, for instance, 13 journalists were arrestedafter participating in a peaceful demonstration. Amnesty International also reported in April that protestors are being met with unconstitutional force. (Jurist)

Imam Mahmud Dicko, former president of the Islamic High Council of Mali, has become an increasingly outspoken opposition figure in the country.

See our last report on the coups d’etat and consolidating dictatorships in West Africa.

Fluctuations in the price of oil and grain since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022 have contributed to popular privation and unrest worldwide.

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