GENEVA - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Thursday warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation in Mali, amid deepening democratic reversals, rising insecurity and a crackdown on civil society.
It has been five years now since the military overthrew the democratically elected civilian president in August 2020.
On 8 July, the transitional president signed into law a bill providing for presidential terms to be renewable without elections "as many times as necessary, until peace is restored in the country". A separate presidential decree on 13 May dissolved all political parties and "organisations of a political nature".
"These legal changes have slammed the door shut on democratic elections in Mali for the foreseeable future, in violation of the right of every citizen to participate in public affairs, and to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections. They must be promptly rescinded," said the UN Human Rights Chief.
"The laws enacted in recent months risk undermining respect for human rights in Mali for a protracted period. I urge the transitional authorities to take immediate and concrete steps to revoke the problematic laws."
These reversals come at a time when Malian authorities continue to grapple with violent attacks by armed groups such as the Al Qaeda-linked group Jama'at Nusrat ul-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and 'Islamic State - Sahel Province' (ISSP). These armed groups have intensified their attacks and continued to kill, injure, and abduct civilians, threaten and intimidate civilians and destroy or loot their property.
Malian troops, backed by foreign military personnel from the 'Africa Corps' (formerly 'Wagner Group'), have also committed serious violations against civilians in their response to the Islamist insurgency. Credible information obtained by the UN Human Rights Office recently shows that since April alone, there have been hundreds of extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests and detentions, enforced disappearances and other abductions by all parties.
On 1 August, former Prime Minister Moussa Mara was detained after he published a tweet declaring his "unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience", following his visits to several detained politicians and civil society leaders. Prior to his arrest, he had also spoken out about other issues of public concern, including the decision to indefinitely suspend presidential elections, which he termed "a worrying signal from the authorities".
A growing number of journalists and human rights defenders have also been abducted or arbitrarily detained since the second coup of May 2021.
"The marked increase in arrests of Malians at all levels of society, on broadbrush charges of undermining state credibility - simply for expressing their views - is deeply worrying," said Türk, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained. "This weaponization of law against expression of dissent must be promptly halted," he said.
The High Commissioner also urged prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all attacks on civilians, and for those responsible to be brought to justice in accordance with international human rights standards.
