On Monday, December 23, Malian political figure Issa Kaou N’Djim appeared before a Bamako court, where prosecutors sought a one-year prison sentence and a fine of 5 million CFA francs (€7,659) for his critical remarks about Burkina Faso’s military leadership, according to a judicial source.
N’Djim faces charges of “publicly insulting a foreign head of state” and “insults committed through an information system.” Detained since mid-November in Bamako’s civil prison, the court is expected to announce its decision on December 30.
The case centers on comments made during a broadcast on Joliba TV News, where N’Djim questioned the legitimacy of a claimed foiled coup attempt in Burkina Faso. Following these remarks, Malian authorities shut down Joliba TV News in November, later issuing a six-month suspension for the station in mid-December as part of the proceedings against him.
Mali and Burkina Faso, both led by military juntas since coups between 2020 and 2022, have intensified their crackdowns on dissent. Media outlets, both domestic and foreign, have faced bans, and critics have been silenced or jailed. Alongside Niger, the two nations have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a regional coalition.
N’Djim, once an ally of Mali’s junta leader Colonel Assimi Goïta, has since become a vocal critic, advocating for a swift transition to civilian rule. He previously served as vice-president of Mali’s National Transitional Council (NTC) before being ousted due to his dissenting views.
This is not N’Djim’s first legal confrontation. In December 2021, he was handed a six-month suspended sentence for “undermining the credibility of the State” through social media posts. He was subsequently dismissed from the NTC and repeatedly barred from traveling abroad.
The trial reflects the increasing suppression of opposition voices in Mali and its neighboring military-led states, raising concerns about democratic governance and freedom of expression in the region.