A Malian court has released 11 opposition leaders who were detained in June on allegations of conspiring against the ruling military government after they advocated for a return to civilian governance.
Their provisional release on Friday is perceived as a move to ease the political tensions in the country following the contentious appointment of General Abdoulaye Maiga as prime minister.
Since the junta took control in 2020, Mali has been under military rule, with another coup occurring the subsequent year.
The individuals were arrested on June 20 during an “illegal” meeting, which took place while political party activities were prohibited. They faced accusations of conspiring against the junta after endorsing a statement in March that urged the military to cede power.
“The 11 comrades from the platform of political parties and associations of the Declaration of March 31 have been released since yesterday,” announced former Malian minister Djiguiba Keita, whose opposition party, the Party for National Renaissance (Parena), is a signatory of the declaration.
“This release is the outcome of our efforts to persuade the authorities to free our comrades as part of the initiative to improve the political atmosphere in the country,” he stated in an interview shared with africa24hrs.
Issa Togo, a member of the Adema PASJ party and a former National Assembly representative, remarked that the 11 individuals “are now free to resume their political activities and travel.”
Numerous political leaders and civil society activists continue to be detained in Mali, including Issa Kaou N’Djim, the former vice-president of the National Transitional Council, and economist Etienne Fakaba Sissoko.
Both individuals have voiced their opposition to the military governments in the three nations of the Alliance of Sahel States: Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
In November, Abdoulaye Maïga was appointed as prime minister, following the ousting of civilian Prime Minister Choguel Maïga by junta leader General Assimi Goita. Choguel Maïga had previously criticized the junta for delaying the presidential election that was set for 2024.
