Former Malian minister abducted by armed men in Bamako

Former Malian Minister Abducted as Military Junta Cracks Down on Critics

Armed, hooded men abducted former Malian minister Mountaga Tall from his home in Bamako late Saturday night, a family member told The Associated Press. The raid occurred amid a widening crackdown following a devastating series of coordinated attacks against the military government last month.

According to Tall’s relative, Mahmoud Touré, the assailants stormed Tall’s residence shortly before midnight without identifying themselves or presenting an arrest warrant. “The soldiers mistreated Mountaga Tall’s wife and took his phone,” Touré said, suggesting the kidnappers were affiliated with Mali’s armed forces.

Tall, who served as Mali’s education and science minister from 2016 to 2017, is a prominent critic of the ruling military junta that seized power in 2020. He currently heads the National Congress for Democratic Initiative, a political party opposing the military government, and has worked as a lawyer representing individuals detained for criticizing the regime.

The abduction comes in the aftermath of one of the most significant attacks on Mali’s military in years. On April 26, jihadist groups and rebels launched coordinated assaults in Bamako and several other cities, seizing multiple towns and military bases. The attacks resulted in numerous casualties, including the death of Defense Minister Sadio Camara, one of the junta’s most powerful figures.

The Islamic militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate in West Africa, claimed joint responsibility for the attacks alongside the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group. Military analysts describe the operation as the most significant coordinated assault on the government since the northern rebellion in 2012 that triggered Mali’s decade-long security crisis.

On Friday, the military government announced it had uncovered evidence that some soldiers had collaborated with these armed groups to facilitate the attacks. This revelation has apparently triggered a wave of arrests, potentially including Tall’s abduction, though authorities have not officially commented on the specific arrests.

Tall’s family has filed a formal complaint “regarding kidnapping and disappearance” with security forces, but have received no information about his whereabouts or condition.

Mali’s military rulers have increasingly restricted civil liberties since taking power, according to human rights organizations. The junta has postponed elections originally promised for February 2022, expelled French and UN forces that were fighting Islamic extremists, and embraced Russian military support, including alleged mercenaries from the Wagner Group.

The April 26 attacks have deepened the security crisis in Mali, which has struggled with jihadist violence and separatist insurgencies for over a decade. The violence has destabilized large portions of the country, particularly in the north and central regions, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

Regional analysts suggest the recent wave of abductions may signal growing paranoia within the junta about potential opposition following the coordinated attacks. The military government, led by Colonel Assimi Goïta, has consistently labeled critics as enemies of the state and accused Western powers of undermining Mali’s sovereignty.

The situation highlights the deteriorating political and security landscape in Mali, which along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger has witnessed military takeovers in recent years. These three Sahel countries recently formed an alliance called the Alliance of Sahel States and withdrew from the regional bloc ECOWAS, further isolating themselves from traditional Western partners while strengthening ties with Russia.

Human rights observers continue to express concern about the shrinking civic space in Mali and the targeting of opposition figures, journalists, and civil society leaders.