Mali’s ruling junta has arrested a prominent politician, Issa Kaou N’Djim, on charges of insulting a foreign head of state after he criticized the military leaders of neighboring Burkina Faso. N’Djim, a former ally of Mali’s current military ruler, Col. Assimi Goita, was arrested Wednesday and placed in custody at the main prison in the capital, Bamako. His son, Ousmane N’Djim, confirmed the arrest, stating, “He knows he is being arrested because of his political struggle.”
The arrest follows comments made by N’Djim on Sunday during an interview with Joliba TV News, where he accused the military rulers of Burkina Faso of fabricating evidence about a supposed foiled coup in September. The charges against N’Djim—insulting a foreign head of state—are criminal offenses under Mali’s legal system.
A source within the court system, who requested anonymity, confirmed that N’Djim’s arrest stemmed from these remarks. Additionally, the director of Joliba TV News has been summoned for interrogation by the authorities, escalating concerns over press freedoms in the country.
N’Djim, who was once a vice president of Mali’s National Transitional Council (CNT), distanced himself from the junta leadership after initially supporting Goita. He has advocated for a return to democratic elections and criticized the junta’s rule. His outspoken stance on the military regime led to his imprisonment in 2021, when he was sentenced to six months in prison for criticizing the junta on social media.
Mali and Burkina Faso have both been governed by military regimes since coups ousted democratically elected governments in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Along with Niger, these countries form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a bloc of military-led governments that has grown increasingly unified amid shared security challenges.
The region, plagued by rising violence from Islamic extremists, has seen a deteriorating security situation, with the military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger facing growing internal unrest. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned the suppression of dissent, calling for N’Djim’s immediate release.
The arrest highlights the ongoing tensions between the military rulers and opposition figures, as well as the crackdown on political opposition and media in Mali and the wider Sahel region.