Mali: mounting concerns as opposition figure mountaga tall and son vanish

A second disappearance following Mountaga Tall’s abduction 

Cheick Mamadou Tall has been missing since May 16, reportedly after receiving a phone call. This incident follows two weeks after his father’s abduction, which occurred on May 2 in Bamako. Family members of Mountaga Tall state that the esteemed lawyer was taken by masked individuals. Since then, no official details regarding his whereabouts or the circumstances of his disappearance have been released. 
  

A vocal critic of the military government

Mountaga Tall, a former influential member of the M5 movement instrumental in the 2020 overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, initially supported the military’s ascent to power before transitioning into one of their most outspoken opponents. Currently, the lawyer is defending several military personnel accused of “attempting to destabilize state institutions” and has also legally challenged the transitional authorities’ decision to dissolve political parties. 

An increasingly tense political atmosphere 

These disappearances unfold amidst a precarious security and political backdrop. In late April, strategic positions held by the military regime were targeted in attacks claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, and rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). In light of this volatile situation, the Tall family’s legal team is urgently appealing to administrative and judicial authorities to “do everything possible” to locate both men and fully investigate their vanishing.