Ex-Mali Prime Minister reportedly charged over social media post supporting jailed critics of military rulers

A former Prime Minister of Mali has been charged with “undermining the credibility of the state” following a social media post about his visits to political prisoners, according to a prosecutor.

Moussa Mara held the post of Prime Minister for a brief eight months from 2014 until 2015.

He was previously summoned for questioning following a July 4 post on X in which he spoke of visiting the prisoners and promising to ensure them justice.

“As long as the night lasts, the sun will obviously appear!” he wrote and added, “We will fight by all means for this to happen as soon as possible!”

Mara remained in jail with a trial scheduled for September 29.

His lawyers condemned the proceedings in a statement on Friday.

Mara’s arrest was the latest in a crackdown on dissent by Mali’s military rulers following the country’s first pro-democracy rally since soldiers seized power nearly four years ago.

Mali, a landlocked nation in Africa’s semi-arid Sahel region on the southern fringe of the Sahara desert, has been embroiled in political instability that swept across West and Central Africa over the last decade.

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