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The military government that took power in Mali last August opened an investigation into alleged violations of state security, according to the Bamako prosecutor. The investigation directly refers to seven prominent figures in Malian society who were arrested on December 21 on suspicion of fomenting a coup.
The list includes the former Prime Minister of Mali Boubou Cissé, the popular radio columnist Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, aka Ras Bath, Vital Robert Diop, CEO of the PMU-Mali betting company, Aguibou Macky Tall, President of Agefau a telecommunications agency and half-brother of Boubou Cissé, as well as Souleymane Kansaye and Mamadou Koné, who work for the treasury.
Cissé, who was in office during the August 18 coup, is the only one who has not been detained, because they have not been able to find him.
“A lot of people see this as soldiers in power who are trying to pressure people,” says Issa Togola, correspondent for the Africa Calling podcast in Bamako.
The prosecutor says that all these personalities had suspicious contacts and movements within the country due to acts of possible sabotage, but he has not given any details about how this happened.
The men were arrested outside of any legal framework and were taken to the Bamako barracks after their arrest, although they were not in the army.
No link?
Malians are struggling to see some kind of link between the seven men.
“They have very different political opinions and do not have projects in common,” says Togola.
It adds that while military officials had been involved in security violations in Mali in the past, no soldiers have been detained on these charges.
“We cannot see any soldiers arrested among those people, so it is very difficult to see how they may be endangering the security of the state,” he says.
The only plausible link is that some are working in the media, according to Togola.
“Ras Bath is an influential columnist here in this country, so people may think it’s a way to shut him up, so he can’t speak or say bad things about those in power, but we don’t have a clear vision of the reason for his arrest now, ”he says.
Journalists and human rights defenders have demonstrated against the military government.
Ras Bath has been arrested without any legal process, without any arrest warrant; journalists see this as a violation of press freedom and human rights defenders consider it illegal, ”he says.
In addition to the previous seven, Sékou Touré, the secretary general of the presidency, was also arrested. However, his case will be handled by the Supreme Court of Mali because he is a minister and a lawyer, according to the prosecutor’s statement.
