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Malian lawmaker sentenced in Ivory Coast
A member of Mali's transitional parliament has been imprisoned for three years in Ivory Coast after criticizing Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, a court ruled this week.
Arrest and charges
Mamadou Hawa Gassama, a legislator in Mali's junta-appointed assembly, was detained last July while visiting Abidjan. Prosecutors accused him of calling Ouattara a "tyrant" and "an enemy of Mali" in media interviews and social media posts.
The court found his remarks exceeded legitimate political criticism, alleging they aimed to destabilize Ivorian institutions and damage relations between the two countries.
Diplomatic tensions
Relations between Mali and Ivory Coast have deteriorated since Mali's 2020 military coup. Ouattara, a close ally of former colonial power France, has publicly opposed the junta's rise and similar takeovers across West Africa.
Bamako has not commented on Gassama's case since his arrest. His lawyer, Mamadou Ismaila Konate, called the sentence "excessive" and "very severe," according to AFP.
Broader fallout
The verdict echoes a 2022 dispute when Mali sentenced 49 Ivorian soldiers to 20 years for allegedly undermining state security. Ivory Coast denied the charges, stating the troops were part of a UN mission combating Islamist militants. The soldiers were later released following mediation by Togo.
Since the coup, Mali's military leadership has expelled UN peacekeepers and French forces, which had been deployed since 2013 to counter a growing jihadist insurgency. Instead, Bamako has turned to Russia, enlisting mercenaries to address security challenges in the Sahel.
