UN's Türk Criticises ‘Draconian' Decree Limiting Dissent In Mali
16 May 2025
Volker Türk on Friday called the decree 'draconian' and urged Mali's Transitional President, General Assimi Goïta, to reverse the decree issued earlier this week.
Signed on 13 May, the decree dissolves all political parties and 'organizations of a political nature' nationwide. It was preceded by the repeal of legislation that had safeguarded political participation.
' Any restrictions of political participation must be consistent with Mali's international human rights law obligations,' High Commissioner for Human Rights Türk said.
He urged the transitional authorities to release those who have been arrested on politically motivated grounds and to fully restore political rights in the country.
Erosion of civic space
The clampdown comes amid a broader erosion of civic space in Mali since the military seized power in successive coups in 2020 and 2021.
According to media reports, the government's move was read out on state television on Tuesday and cited the need to curb the 'proliferation' of political parties.
At least three opposition members were reportedly arrested following protests against the decree, with their whereabouts currently unknown – part of what Mr. Türk described as a troubling pattern of enforced disappearances dating back to at least 2021.
A group of UN independent rights experts also condemned the developments in a separate statement last week, warning that the decree and accompanying legislation represent 'a direct violation of basic human rights.'
Elections in question
The experts – who are independent of the UN and serve in their personal capacity – criticised the transitional authorities for using the 2021 national consultations, the Assises Nationales de la Refondation and April 2025 consultation on review of the Charter of Political Parties, as justification for authoritarian measures.
Several political parties boycotted those consultations, citing fears they were being used as a pretext to dismantle political opposition.
Among the recommendations emerging from those meetings, the Council of Ministers reportedly discussed naming Gen. Goïta as president for a renewable five-year term – without holding elections.
The UN has urged the transitional authorities to refrain from extending the transition period again and to publish an electoral timetable without delay.
High Commissioner Türk recalled Gen. Goïta's instructions to the Cabinet of Ministers in November 2024 to create conditions for 'transparent and peaceful elections,' a promise that now appears increasingly hollow.
Spiralling security situation
Beyond political repression, Mali is grappling with worsening security conditions following the closure of the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSMA, at the end of 2023.
According to credible information received by the UN rights office, OHCHR, violations and abuses increased by nearly 120 per cent between 2023 and 2024.
The withdrawal of French forces and the European Union Training Mission in Mali in 2022 also contributed to the deteriorating security situation across the West African landlocked country.
Civilians across the country continue to face deadly attacks – including killings, abduction, and sexual and gender-based violence – by extremist groups including Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State - Sahel Province.
Government forces, allegedly accompanied by foreign military personnel widely referred to either as 'Africa Corps' or 'Wagner,' have also been accused of serious abuses. Last month, dozens of civilians were reportedly killed in the southwestern Kayes region after being detained by Malian forces and foreign partners.
Bring perpetrators to justice
Mr. Türk underscored the need to ensure accountability for rights violations and abuses.
The multiple investigations announced by the Malian authorities into these killings must be prompt, impartial and meet international standards, he said, 'with a view to ensuring victims' rights to truth, justice and reparations.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
French Authorities Block Greenpeace Ship From Participating In UN Ocean Conference
French authorities have blocked Greenpeace International's ship Arctic Sunrise from entering the port of Nice, where the "One Ocean Science Congress" and the UN Ocean Conference are being hosted. This was retaliation against Greenpeace France, highlighting the weaknesses of the French network of Marine Protected Areas last month in the Mediterranean Sea, in an expedition on board the Arctic Sunrise. Greenpeace International will write a formal letter of complaint to the United Nations, deploring the behaviour of the hosting French government. Civil society participation is a core element of the UN Ocean Conference. The presence of the Arctic Sunrise in Nice would coincide with the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior by French secret services in Auckland. Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Ellie Hooper says, "It's ironic that so close to the 40th anniversary of the French Government's attempt to silence Greenpeace here in Auckland by bombing the Rainbow Warrior, the French Government is again trying to shut us down by blocking our ship from entering Nice." "But just like we were not silenced then, neither will we be silenced now. Climate change, ecosystem collapse, and accelerating species extinction pose an existential threat, and our work has never been more important." The Arctic Sunrise had been invited by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in the "One Ocean Science Congress" and in the Ocean wonders parade taking place right before the UN Ocean Conference. Greenpeace International had intended to deliver the messages of three million people calling for a moratorium on deep sea mining to the politicians attending the conference. The ship's entry to Nice has now been blocked. Mads Christensen, Greenpeace International's Executive Director, says, "The French authorities' attempt to silence fair criticism ahead of this UN Ocean Conference is clearly a political decision and is utterly unacceptable. Greenpeace and our ships have been working peacefully to protect the oceans for decades. The Arctic Sunrise highlighted the failure of the French government to properly protect its Marine Protected Areas - where bottom trawling is still permitted - and now we are being punished. "France wants this to be a moment where they present themselves as saviours of the oceans, while they want to silence any criticism of their own failures in national waters. We will not be silenced. We believe the voices of the three million calling for a stop to deep sea mining must be heard in Nice. Greenpeace and the French government share the same objective to get a moratorium on deep sea mining, which makes the ban of the Arctic Sunrise from Nice even more absurd." Millions of people around the world have joined Greenpeace's campaign to stop deep sea mining from starting. In 2023, the Arctic Sunrise crew took action at sea to bear witness to the threat of the deep sea mining industry. They peacefully protested against The Metals Company, which had been publicly accused of "environmental piracy" by the French government a few weeks ago, given their attempt to bypass international law by requesting an exploitation permit through President Trump's administration. Right now, the Rainbow Warrior is in the Tasman Sea to expose the damage being done to ocean life there and will be in New Zealand to mark the anniversary of the bombing in Auckland on 10 July. Onboard photographer Fernando Pereira died in the attack, which came soon after Operation Exodus, in which the Greenpeace flagship had evacuated victims of American nuclear tests on Rongelap Atoll and was preparing to oppose French nuclear tests on Mururoa Atoll. Following the first-ever deep sea mining licence application by The Metals Company to the United States, Greenpeace says that now is the time to resist and stop this industry from starting. This UN Ocean Conference will be a key moment to galvanise support ahead of the July meeting of the International Seabed Authority, the UN regulator.
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Gaza: UN Experts Demand Safe Passage For Freedom Flotilla Coalition
Press Release – UN Special Procedures – Human Rights The people of Gaza have the right to receive aid through their own territorial waters even under occupation, and the Coalition ship has the right to free passage in international waters to reach the people of Gaza. Geneva, 2 June 2025 UN experts* today called for safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's ship carrying essential medical aid, food, and baby supplies to Gaza which departed from Italy on 1 June 2025. 'Aid is desperately needed for the people of Gaza to forestall annihilation, and this initiative is a symbolic and powerful effort to deliver it. Israel should remember that the world is watching closely and refrain from any act of hostility against the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and its passengers,' the experts said. 'The people of Gaza have the right to receive aid through their own territorial waters even under occupation, and the Coalition ship has the right to free passage in international waters to reach the people of Gaza,' they said. 'Israel must not interfere with its freedom of navigation, long recognised under international law.' They expressed serious concern for the safety of participants in the Freedom Flotilla, given Israel's repeated violent attacks on human rights defenders and UN and civilian humanitarian missions. The Coalition sent a similar ship in early May, which was bombed by a drone off the coast of Malta. 'Israel has imposed a full blockade on Gaza for 17 years. This blockade has been total and absolute since 2 March 2025, preventing aid from entering the Strip for over 80 days, only recently allowing a trickle of aid to enter,' the experts said. 'As the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's ship approaches Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, Israel must adhere to international law and comply with orders from the International Court of Justice to ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian aid,' they said. In March 2024, the International Court of Justice issued provisional measures recognising that famine and starvation were rampant in Gaza, creating a risk of genocide. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu for the war crime of starvation. 'Yet on 1 March 2025, he announced that the entry of all goods and supplies to the Gaza Strip would be halted, flagrantly defying international law,' the experts said. 'Over six hundred days into Israel's starvation campaign and genocidal violence against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the situation is at its most horrific.' The experts stressed that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by Israel and the US, is using aid as a weapon of war to displace, humiliate and corral civilians. 'These practices violate international legal principles of dignity, humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,' they said, noting that child acute malnutrition had increased by more than 80% in March 2025. 'The accumulation of trucks carrying humanitarian aid at the Rafah crossing while civilians starve and die is not a failure of coordination — it is the deliberate and willful weaponisation of humanitarian aid, and the international community seems to be complicit,' the experts said. 'Member States have a legal obligation and a moral imperative to stop starvation and genocide in Gaza.' The experts urged the UN General Assembly to authorise the deployment of peacekeepers to accompany humanitarian aid trucks under the 'Uniting for Peace' provision of the UN Charter.
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
World News In Brief: Guterres Condemns Antisemitic Attacks, ILO To Debate Pros/Cons Of Working Online, Sudan, Ukraine...
2 June 2025 A man was arrested in Boulder after reportedly using a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set people on fire at an event in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza on Sunday. The suspect reportedly yelled 'Free Palestine' during the attack and now faces federal hate crime charges along with multiple felonies. The attack injured at least eight people, ranging in age from 52 to 88. The injuries have been described by local police as ranging from minor to 'very serious'. Holocaust memorial targeted In a further antisemitic act in Paris, vandals targeted the Shoah Memorial, three synagogues and the Jewish restaurant Chez Marianne on Saturday morning, according to news reports. Photos show green paint now coating a wall engraved with the names of the 76,000 Jewish men, women and children deported from France between 1942 and 1944. No suspects have been arrested so far and no group has claimed responsibility. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told correspondents at the Noon Briefing in New York that 'The Secretary-General condemns these acts.' 'The United Nations firmly stands against all forms of antisemitism, as well as all other manifestations of extremism and any incitement to religious hatred and violence, and he calls for swift action to hold those responsible accountable,' Mr. Dujarric said. UN labour agency sheds light on potential risks of online work Governments, employers, and workers from the 187 UN ILO Member States are currently meeting in Geneva for the International Labour Organization's annual conference. The potential pitfalls of online platforms will be one key area for debate, as countries mull reforms to protect workers and promote development. Digital platforms have grown rapidly in recent decades in line with the gig economy, boosting online education, tourism and transport, for example. Lack of protections But although businesses that use digital platforms offer flexibility for workers, there's concern that they don't offer enough social protection or decent conditions. According to senior ILO official Angelika Muller many online workers lack protections as part of the informal economy. As such, many face poor working conditions while many employers turn to algorithms to evaluate worker performance. Member States are also expected to agree on new ways to help countries transition from the informal to the formal economy and address the issue of health dangers from exposure to biological hazards at work. Attacks on Sudanese civilians continue On May 29, the World Food Programme's facility in Al Fasher was repeatedly shelled, resulting in extensive damage, according to a report on Monday from UN aid coordination office, OCHA. The next day, Eldaman International Hospital in Al Obeid was struck by a drone attack, killing at least six health workers and injuring more than 15 others. Both attacks were reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia which has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for control of the country since April 2023. Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Kristine Hambrouck, released a statement on Sunday calling the attacks a 'blatant violation of international humanitarian law,' calling on all sides to protect civilian lives. UN relief chief Tom Fletcher, also expressed concern over these attacks in a social media post Monday: 'These attacks must stop.' Continued cholera threats Meanwhile, in Khartoum state, strikes on electricity infrastructure have aggravated water shortages, forcing many residents to rely on unsafe water sources and endangering over one million children with waterborne diseases, as cholera continues to spread across Sudan. Thanks to the efforts of health workers and community volunteers, daily cholera cases in the capital region have fallen compared to previous weeks. There have been more than 16,500 cases and over 340 reported deaths in Khartoum since the outbreak began. Dozens of cases are also emerging in the South Darfur state, prompting officials to declare a health emergency and appeal for urgent support to contain the outbreak. With UN support, local health authorities have established treatment centers and initiated surveillance and community health efforts. is urging the international community to act now to ensure that aid reaches those most in need, to halt the spread of cholera, and to protect the millions of civilians at risk. Recent attacks on Ukrainian civilians The UN on Monday reported that attacks in Ukraine over the weekend and Monday left more than 20 civilians dead, including one child, and injured over 100 others. Civilian infrastructure – including homes, medical and educational facilities and power and gas lines – was also affected. Notably, the attacks occurred just hours before Ukrainian and Russian delegations met for a second round of preliminary peace talks in Türkiye on Monday. Humanitarian response Humanitarian organizations are providing critical support to affected families, including emergency repair materials, legal and psychological assistance, and evacuations from areas where heavy fighting is continuing. On 30 May, an inter-agency convoy delivered essential aid – including solar lamps, charging stations, kitchen sets, diapers, food, hygiene items and first aid kits – to over 700 residents in the frontline Mylivska community of Kherson.
