Harare — A Malian activist was sentenced to a year in prison after she said the country's military government failed to address inflation and insecurity, according to AFP.
Rokia Doumbia was accused of "insulting the Head of State", "inciting revolt", and "disturbing public order through the use of information and communication technologies".
Doumbia is well-known for her dedication to fighting the high cost of living and has a large online following in Mali as a result of her boldness when speaking out against the government's management of the economy and the deteriorating security situation.
She was arrested in March, just days after radio and TV host Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, often known as Ras Bath, was sentenced to prison for saying that former prime minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga was "murdered" while being detained in 2022.
Before being taken into custody in March, Doumbia broadcast a live message on TikTok calling out the junta's leader, Colonel Assimi Gota.
"This transition is a failure with 0%. I wouldn't even give 1%, but 0%", Doumbia said, referring to the time under military control.
"No Malian lives in peace," Doumbia said, even though the government frequently says that they now have the upper hand over the terrorists.
"Insecurity is spreading everywhere," she said.
Since the coup, the military junta in Mali, commanded by Goita, tightened its control over dissent and opposition voices. The junta is cracking down on detractors and crushing any kind of protest against its policies and governance, but has promised to return the nation to civilian control by 2024.
In July, the United Nations Security Council decided to withdraw approximately 13,000 MINUSMA peacekeepers at the explicit request of the Malian military government, a move that will have an impact on Mali, the Sahel region, and the countries that deployed the soldiers.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Mali's Defense Minister Colonel Sadio Camara, Air Force Chief of Staff Colonel Alou Boi Diarra, and Deputy Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Adama Bagayoko, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the Wagner Group.
Human Rights Watch previously reported that several dozen citizens were killed and/or vanished in the central region of Mali since December 2022 as a result of the actions of Mali military and foreign fighters, probably from the Wagner Group, which has ties to Russia. Additionally, they are charged accused of stealing, damaging, and torturing prisoners at an army camp.
