On 31 October, Mali’s National Transitional Council passed a law criminalizing same-sex relationships, marking a significant change in the country’s legal framework. While same-sex conduct was not previously illegal, vague provisions in the penal code, such as Article 225 penalizing ‘public indecency,’ were often used to target LGBTQIA+ individuals. Justice Minister Mamadou Kassogué declared that its provisions ‘prohibit homosexuality in Mali’ and that ‘anyone who indulges in this practice or promotes or condones it, will be prosecuted’. The penalties for breaching the law remain unclear. In order to be final, the bill will have to be signed by Mali’s military leaders.

Sources: News Central, Barron’s, Human Rights Watch, X

On 16 September, the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced the launch of a joint indigenous media platform following the suspension of French news outlets in the region. This initiative, a web-based television channel, is intended to provide state-controlled information and counter what the governments describe as biased foreign reporting. The media launch comes amid growing restrictions on press freedom in these countries, where military-led governments have expelled several international media organizations. The creation of this platform reflects a broader trend in the Sahel of increasing government control over information and an erosion of media independence.

Sources: France24, Anadolu Agency, International IDEA

On 17 September, the Al Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) launched a coordinated terrorist assault in Bamako, the capital of Mali, killing at least 50 people and wounding over 200. JNIM targeted two critical sites: the national gendarmerie academy in Faladié and Modibo Keïta International Airport. This marked the first major attack on the city since the military coup in 2020.

Sources: The Africa Report, International Crisis Group, BBC, Le Monde, The Guardian

On 10 July, Mali’s ruling military junta lifted a suspension on the activities of political parties and associations’ activities, which it had imposed three months earlier on 10 April. The junta had justified the suspension on public order grounds, but commentators suggested it was a punitive response to calls made by political parties and associations for a presidential election and a return to constitutional order. While the junta’s lifting of the suspension marks an important step towards restoring political pluralism in the country, rights groups remain concerned about broader patterns of repression, including the detention of 11 opposition politicians in June.

Sources: The Secretary-General of the Government of Mali, Reuters, Amnesty International, International IDEA, France24, Le Monde, ISS Africa

Mali’s military junta continued its targeting of political parties and leaders as eleven members of the main opposition coalition, known as March 31 Declaration’s Opposition Platform (Plateforme d'opposition de la Déclaration du 31 mars), were arrested on 20 June at a private meeting. One of those arrested, Mohamed Ali Bathily, a former minister and lawyer, was released the following day while 10 others were charged with conspiracy and public order offences. They were placed in pretrial detention, where they were expected to remain until trial, according to one human rights group. The arrests took place nearly two months after the transitional government’s suspension of political party activities, following the opposition platform’s call for a return to constitutional order and the organization of presidential elections. Following the arrests, the Malian National Human Rights Commission (La Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme, CNDH) responded by denouncing what it called “arbitrary arrests” and “violations of private homes”.

Sources: Jeune Afrique, Human Rights Watch, International IDEA, X, Reuters, Malian National Human Rights Commission, AP