Mali’s junta has arrested prominent politician Issa Kaou N’Djim for allegedly insulting Burkina Faso’s military leader, a crime under Malian law. N’Djim, a former ally of Mali’s military regime who later advocated for a return to democracy, criticized Burkina Faso’s junta on Joliba TV, claiming they fabricated evidence of a coup plot. Subsequently, he was detained and sent to Bamako’s main prison. According to reports, Joliba TV’s director was also summoned for questioning. This is N’Djim’s second run-in with Malian authorities as, in 2021, he was handed a six-month prison sentence for criticizing Mali’s junta. Both Mali and Burkina Faso are led by military regimes that seized power amid growing security challenges. Together with Niger, they form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). However, all three face rising extremist violence and allegations of human rights abuses.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS