A close ally of Mali’s civilian Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga has been remanded in custody and will go on trial in July, a judicial source said Tuesday, after their political movement openly criticised the West African nation’s military rulers.
The M5-RFP movement on Friday put out a strong statement against the colonels who seized power in 2020 and further extended their rule after failing to keep a March deadline to hold elections and hand over power to a civilian government.
Boubacar Traore, who signed the statement, was arrested on Monday. A member of his entourage said he was taken by intelligence agents from his office in the building housing the prime minister’s services.
“He has been remanded in custody for damaging the state, contempt of court, disturbing public order, publishing lies…” by a Bamako court, said the source, who asked not to be named.
“His trial is scheduled for July 1,” the source added.
The M5 statement was widely considered to set the seal on the breakdown in relations between the colonels and the prime minister they appointed in 2021.
AFP could not confirm if Maiga supported the statement from M5, which is riven by factionalism.
Traore had told AFP it came from the faction backing Maiga.
But the prime minister has made no comment.
There has been speculation for months that Maiga, who appears isolated with limited room to manoeuvre, is to be replaced.
Traore was the second Maiga supporter to be jailed after Abdelkader Maiga was sentenced to two years for defamation in April.
The colonels have kept a tight hold on the reins of power, following a second putsch in 2021. They have not set a new date to hand over power.
Maiga, who had become one of the regime’s main voices, had announced the junta would only organise elections once the security situation had completely stabilised.
Mali has since 2012 been plunged into a political and security crisis fuelled by attacks from insurgents and other armed groups, as well as a separatist struggle in the north.