Mali tightens grip on press freedom as journalist faces cybercrime court
In Bamako, the military authorities have escalated their campaign against dissenting voices by hauling journalist Abdrahamane Keïta before the specialised judicial unit for cybercrime. His alleged offence? Daring to offer a clear-eyed assessment of the deteriorating security situation in Kidal and the setbacks suffered by the army.
Instead of addressing the public’s legitimate concerns about the growing instability in the north, the junta has once again turned its judicial machinery against independent observers. By weaponising cybercrime legislation, the regime aims to enforce widespread silence and stifle any dissenting debate about its handling of security matters.
A pattern of silencing: disappearances, forced conscription, and arrests
The case of Abdrahamane Keïta fits into an ever-lengthening list of individuals muted for challenging the official narrative:
- In Mali, renowned commentator Mohamed Youssouf Bathily (Ras Bath) remains imprisoned for his outspoken views, as does academic Étienne Fakaba Sissoko, who received a custodial sentence after publishing a book that criticised state propaganda. Activist Rokia Doumbia was also jailed for speaking out against the high cost of living and the management of the crisis, while figures like Clément Dembélé have endured arbitrary arrests and temporary disappearances.
- Across the neighbouring Sahel states, similar tactics have become widespread: in Burkina Faso, journalists and commentators such as Serge Oulon, Alain Traoré, and Kalifara Séré have been abducted or forcibly sent to the military front after voicing reservations about the conduct of the war. In Niger, press figures like Moussa Kaka continue to face intimidation and interrogation.
Truth treated as a threat to power
The relentless pursuit of media professionals reveals a well-rehearsed strategy: branding any analysis that deviates from the government line as an attempt to undermine troop morale or threaten state security. As security conditions worsen on the ground, the transitional government has shut itself off in a posture of systematic intolerance towards criticism, effectively banning investigative journalism.
Media landscape suffocated
This latest affair contributes to a climate of fear designed to purge the public sphere of all contradiction. Repeated summonses, targeted arrests, and media suspensions have become the daily lot of those who refuse to act as mere mouthpieces for the authorities. By going after a journalist simply for documenting the reality on the ground in Kidal, the regime confirms its nervousness and its determination to keep the country under an information lockdown.
