Mali clamps down on civil society with wave of group dissolutions

Mali’s government escalates crackdown on civil society organizations

In Mali, the dissolution of a student association by the Minister of Territorial Administration marks the latest move in a broader government campaign to suppress freedom of association. Authorities have accused the Association des Élèves et Étudiants du Mali (AEEM) of inciting violence and clashes in schools and universities, pointing to 2017 and 2018 incidents where security forces arrested members found with weapons, drugs, and unexplained large sums of money.

The AEEM is the fourth organization dissolved in under four months. On March 6, authorities dissolved the Coordination des Mouvements, Associations et Sympathisants de l’Imam Mahmoud Dicko, which had advocated for presidential elections to restore democratic civilian rule. The group was branded a destabilizing force and a public security threat. Earlier, on February 28, the political organization Kaoural Renouveau was dissolved for allegedly making defamatory and subversive statements about the military junta. And on December 20, the Observatoire pour les élections et la bonne gouvernance—a civil society group monitoring election conduct—was shut down for remarks its leader made that authorities claimed could disrupt public order.

Since the 2021 military coup, Mali’s ruling junta has intensified repression against peaceful dissent, political opposition, and independent media, severely restricting the country’s civic space. On March 4, authorities forcibly disappeared gendarmerie colonel Alpha Yaya Sangaré, who had recently published a book detailing alleged abuses by Malian security forces.

The Mali National Human Rights Commission has issued a statement warning of serious threats to civil and political rights, particularly freedom of association. It condemned the systematic dissolution or suspension of political parties and associations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson, Seif Magango, echoed these concerns this week.

As Mali approaches three years under unelected leadership, a free and secure civic and political environment—where people can organize, express views, and protest—is more vital than ever. Authorities must immediately reinstate all dissolved organizations and commit to upholding fundamental freedoms and rights.