BAMAKO, Mali — The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has sharply criticized Mali’s recent blanket ban on political parties as a severe infringement on fundamental rights, raising alarms about its potential to stifle dissent and entrench authoritarian governance.
Türk urged Mali’s transitional authorities to revoke the controversial decree and release individuals held on politically motivated charges. He emphasized that restrictions on political participation must align with Mali’s international human rights commitments. The High Commissioner also stressed the importance of conducting transparent investigations into human rights violations, reinforcing that victims deserve access to truth, justice, and reparations while holding perpetrators accountable.
The decree, enacted on May 13, effectively dissolves all political parties and organizations focused on political activity, thereby criminalizing organized opposition. This move marks a troubling escalation in the military-led transitional government’s ongoing efforts to quash political dissent since seizing power in a coup in 2020. Since 2021, the junta has been increasingly criticized for dissolving opposition groups, arresting dissenters, and making political figures disappear.
Among those targeted is political analyst Issa Kaou N’Djim, who received a two-year prison sentence for expressing critical views about a neighboring military government. Civil society leader Daouda Magassa was abducted in February and is allegedly being held by the National Agency for State Security, with concerns raised regarding his current status.
Human Rights Watch has expressed growing alarm over the situation, prompting a formal appeal to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for intervention earlier this year. The organization highlighted a troubling pattern of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions aimed at silencing opposition, civil society, and independent media outlets. Notably, Joliba TV News, known for its critical stance toward the junta, was shut down in 2024 amid political pressure and external complaints.
Further fueling international concern, UN experts recently condemned reports of enforced disappearances and summary executions that have resulted in the deaths of roughly 100 individuals, mainly from Mali’s Peul (Fulani) community. These bodies were uncovered near the Kwala military camp, following widespread arrests during military operations in April. Experts have cautioned that such actions may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Mali is a signatory to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. These international agreements prohibit arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, uphold detainee rights, and protect freedoms of expression and association—rights that observers argue are being systematically violated by the current regime.
This deteriorating human rights landscape underlines the urgent need for political reform and accountability in Mali as the transitional leaders continue to assert control over civil liberties.
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