Mali Ex-Prime Minister to Face Trial Over Social Media Post

Moussa Mara, Mali’s former Prime Minister, has been detained and charged over a post he made on social media criticizing the military-led government. His lawyer, Mountaga Tall, said the charges include undermining the state’s credibility and spreading false information.

The post, dated July 4, showed support for imprisoned government critics. Mara had already been summoned several times for questioning this month before being blocked from traveling to Senegal for a peace and security conference.

On Friday, he was formally charged by the country’s cybercrime prosecutors. His trial is now set for September 29. The military government, led by Colonel Assimi Goita, has recently dissolved political parties and granted itself a five-year, renewable mandate without elections.

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Mara is one of the few public figures to openly challenge these actions. His case highlights rising concerns over freedom of speech and the shrinking democratic space in Mali under military rule.

Mara’s prosecution comes as Mali is experiencing a sharp rise in violence linked to Islamist insurgents. In recent months, the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin has carried out more deadly attacks across the country.

This group also operates in Burkina Faso and Niger and has been growing in strength. Analysts report that the militants now use more advanced battlefield tactics and fund their operations through criminal activities, including kidnapping, hijacking goods, rustling livestock, and taxing rural populations.

On Friday, the group claimed responsibility for ambushing a military convoy in central Mali’s Tenenkou area. The convoy included both Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries. The Malian army confirmed the attack on social media but did not release casualty numbers.

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These ongoing attacks raise doubts about the military government's ability to handle the country’s security crisis. Meanwhile, the government continues to focus on political control instead of organizing democratic elections.