Mali court jails dissident over remarks about Burkina junta

BAMAKO - A Malian court on Monday jailed a political figure for making critical remarks against the military rulers of neighbouring Burkina Faso, a legal source and his family said.

Issa Kaou N'Djim, who previously supported Malian junta leader Assimi Goita before distancing himself, made the comments during a programme aired on local television station Joliba TV News.

N'Djim was sentenced by a court in the capital Bamako to two years in prison, one of which was suspended.

He was also ordered to pay a fine of one million CFA francs ($1,600) by the national anti-cybercrime office, the legal source said.

Mali authorities closed Joliba TV News in November because of the remarks and handed the private television station a six-month ban earlier this month.

N'Djim's jailing follows the disappearance on Saturday morning of another opposition figure, Ibrahim Naby Togola, who was due to hold a press briefing that day.

According to a statement from his political party, Togola was abducted by "unidentified armed individuals" before being taken to an unknown destination in a black vehicle with tinted windows.

The "Call of 20 February 2023 to save Mali" opposition platform, which Togola belonged to, called for his "immediate and unconditional release".

Mali and Burkina Faso have been ruled by military regimes since coups in 2020 and 2022 respectively and are both embroiled in political and security crises.

The military-led governments have taken repressive measures against the press, suspending a number of foreign media outlets and imprisoning or silencing journalists or critics.

Together with fellow junta-led Niger, they have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) confederation.

N'Djim previously was one of the vice-presidents of the National Transitional Council (CNT), the legislative body of Mali's military rulers.

He later said he favoured a rapid end to the so-called transitional period intended to return power to elected civilians.

In December 2021, N'Djim was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence for "undermining the credit of the state", following comments deemed "subversive" on social media.

He was dismissed from the CNT and prevented from leaving the country on several occasions.