Human rights situation in Mali: key concerns in 2025
In 2025, Mali faced severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. Political opponents and civil society members were arbitrarily detained, subjected to enforced disappearances, or faced illegal violence from government forces, allied militias, and armed groups. Several cities endured blockades imposed by militant factions, while at least 2,036 schools remained closed due to ongoing conflict, disrupting education for hundreds of thousands of children.
Political and social context
Following the collapse of a peace process that excluded political parties, civil society, and some armed factions, authorities introduced the National Charter for Peace and Reconciliation in February 2025. In April, the military-led transition period—established after the 2020 coup—was extended by five years.
June marked a shift in Mali’s security partnerships, as the Wagner Group was replaced by the Africa Corps, a Russian state-controlled military entity operating under the country’s defense ministry.
In August, authorities claimed to have foiled a coup attempt, detaining several military officers and a French diplomat, who was also identified as a French intelligence agent. The same month, Mali announced its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Crackdown on dissent: suppression of political freedoms
The decision to dissolve all political parties underscored the government’s tightening grip on freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. In April and May, protests erupted in Bamako against this measure, but security forces responded with violent repression, escalating tensions within the capital.
Enforced disappearances: targeting activists and political figures
Security forces and unknown armed groups continued to abduct civil society leaders, activists, and politicians, holding them incommunicado. On March 14, Alou Badra Sacko, coordinator of the Appel du 20 février movement and president of Touche pas à mon argent, was kidnapped in central Bamako by masked assailants. He had publicly criticized mobile money transaction taxes and was released on May 24 after prolonged detention.
On May 8, El Bachir Thiam, leader of the Yelema party and a vocal critic of political party dissolutions and transition extensions, was abducted from his home. The UN Human Rights Council intervened, demanding his immediate release. He was freed on September 26.
Later that day, masked men claiming to be gendarmes abducted Alhassane Abba, secretary-general of the Convergence pour le développement du Mali party, from his Bamako residence. He was released without charge on June 5.
Arbitrary arrests and detentions: silencing opposition
The UN Human Rights Council called for the release of detained activists, including Moulaye Baba Haïdara, Mahamoud Mohamed Mangane, and Amadou Togola, who were allegedly tortured in custody. Detained since 2023 on charges such as “undermining state security” and “threatening national unity”, their trial remained pending.
In August, former Prime Minister Moussa Mara was arrested for a social media post declaring his commitment to fighting for the rights of detained dissidents. Charged with “damaging state credibility” and “opposing legitimate authority”, he was sentenced in October to one year in prison.
Clément Dembele, a prominent anticorruption activist, remained incarcerated despite a court order in April for the dismissal of charges against him. Arrested in 2023 for allegedly threatening the president and his family, his continued detention drew international condemnation, with the UN Human Rights Council urging his unconditional release in August.
Violence by armed groups: civilian targeting intensifies
Armed factions escalated attacks on civilians, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. In February, 34 civilians were killed in an attack by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) on a civilian convoy near Gao, reportedly under military escort.
In May, Sidi Barka, a civil society leader, was abducted by ISGS members in Ménaka. Local reports confirmed his body was found in August near the city’s outskirts.
That same month, Ousmane Kampo, mayor of Konna (Mopti region), was kidnapped by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) while working in his fields. He was released on October 4.
In August, militants from the Katiba Macina launched an attack on Farabougou (Dogofry commune), seizing military positions and killing civilians in a reckless assault that triggered mass displacements. Later that month, the mayor of Dogofry, Modibo Kimbiri, and his driver were fatally shot by traditional hunters between Diabaly and Dogofry.
On November 6, in Echell (Tombouctou region), armed men abducted Mariam Cissé, a social media influencer. The next day, they took her to her hometown of Tonka, executed her, and abandoned her body in a public square.
Humanitarian law violations: military and allies implicated
Government forces and their allies were accused of serious violations of international humanitarian law, including torture and extrajudicial killings.
On March 16, a Malian Air Force drone strike killed at least 10 civilians during a market day in Ejdeïr, Tombouctou region.
On April 12, Malian troops and Wagner-affiliated fighters detained over 100 men, primarily from the Fulani community, at a market in Sebabougou (Kayes region). According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), around 60 were taken to the Kwala military camp (Koulikoro region), where they were tortured. Survivors later reported that many were executed and their bodies dumped near the camp. Decomposed remains matching some of the victims were discovered a week later.
On May 12, Malian soldiers and Dogon militiamen (Dozos) arrested 23 to 27 men at Diafarabé’s weekly market. Blindfolded and bound, they were transported by canoe to the opposite riverbank, executed, and buried in mass graves. While the army promised an investigation into the alleged killings, no further updates have been made public.
Economic and social rights under threat
JNIM continued to impose blockades on key cities, including Gossi, Léré, and Diafarabé, restricting access to food, fuel, and freedom of movement. In July, the group announced a blockade of Kayes and Nioro du Sahel, further constraining supply routes from neighboring Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. Trucks transporting fuel were systematically targeted in western and central Mali.
The education crisis deepens
The education sector faced severe disruptions, with 2,036 schools closed by June 2025—an increase from 1,984 in 2024. Over 618,000 children were denied access to schooling, with the Kidal region experiencing the highest rate of school closures, affecting 63% of school-aged children.
