Latest news with #AssimiGoita
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Mali: Dissolution Of Political Parties A Step In The Wrong Direction, Warn UN Experts
GENEVA (22 May 2025) – The signature of a decree on 13 May 2025 dissolving all political parties and 'organisations of a political nature' and the promulgation of legislation repealing previous laws on political parties sends an extremely negative signal about Mali's commitment to human rights, a group of independent human rights experts* warned today. 'These laws must be immediately repealed,' the experts said. 'The adoption of these laws is a step in the wrong direction for the country. It is not too late for President Goïta to halt this downward spiral and change course.' On 13 May 2025, the Transitional President, General Assimi Goita, issued a decree dissolving all political parties and 'organisations of a political nature' and signed into law a repeal of previous laws governing and protecting political parties. 'This is just the latest step in the erosion and systematic clampdown on an already shrinking civic space and the rule of law in the country, and comes against a backdrop of increasing restrictions, attacks, and stigmatising statements against critics and dissenting voices, including civil society organisations, human rights defenders and media professionals,' the experts said. 'We are shocked that these laws were adopted despite the call we made two weeks ago and the assurances given by the Government of Mali that the repeal of existing laws did not call into question the existence of political parties,' they said. The experts warned that the 13 May decree signals a move by Malian authorities to outlaw and criminalise the existence and activities of political parties, as well as any organisations they label as 'political' and anyone who supports them, shows sympathy to them or is even remotely associated with them. 'Its vague and broad phrasing opens the door to arbitrary arrests and detentions, judicial harassment, and prosecution of people merely exercising their rights, including the right to freedom of association' they said. The experts stressed that despite a stated intent to "stop the proliferation of political parties", the new legislation appears aimed at fostering a climate of fear, intimidating, silencing and punishing critics, dissenting voices or anyone involved in activities deemed to be unwelcome by Malian transitional authorities. 'These laws risk having a chilling effect on the Malian society as a whole,' they said. 'The Malian transitional authorities should engage in peaceful and truly inclusive dialogue with all actors involved in legal reform processes instead of resorting to cracking down on critics and dissenting voices,' the experts said. They urged the international community to redouble its efforts to support respect for, protection and promotion of all human rights for all in Mali. The experts reiterated their readiness to assist the Government of Mali in its efforts to revise its legislation on political parties and political activities to ensure compliance with international human rights norms and standards. Note
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
In Mali, USAID funding cuts hit a local language learning program that empowered thousands
For Aminata Doumbia, an 18-year-old Malian, the 'Shifin ni Tagne' project was a path for her life dreams. A phrase meaning 'our future' in the country's main local language, it refers to a yearslong program aimed at teaching around 20,000 young Malians to read and write in their local languages. Backed by $25 million in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, over five years, the project has now shut down following the Trump administration's decision to cut 90% of the agency's foreign aid. 'The joy I felt when I was selected for this project has been replaced by sadness,' said Doumbia in Mali's capital, Bamako. She had hoped to take advantage of the empowerment program to train as a pastry chef. 'I don't have any hope of realizing my dream (again)," Doumbia said. Poverty and illiteracy Doumbia is among thousands of people who now find themselves stranded in Mali, a country ravaged by high poverty and insecurity levels and where 70% of the population of at least 22 million people haven't had the opportunity to learn to read and write, according to Sylla Fatoumata Cissé, director of a government agency focusing on nonformal education and national languages in Mali. The USAID funding cut also came at a time when Mali's other development partners in Europe have withdrawn their support in the aftermath of the 2021 coup, which brought the current junta leader, Assimi Goita, to power. A path to empowerment For many, the literacy project was the only path to literacy and empowerment. Once literate, program beneficiaries move on to the next stage, which involves the acquisition of vocational skills like hairdressing, carpentry, sewing, welding, and pastry-making, according to Modibo Sissoko, literacy supervisor at the Malian Association for Survival in the Sahel nonprofit involved in the 'Shifin ni Tagne' project. These skills enable the economically disadvantaged to create jobs for themselves, earn a living or support their families, Sissoko said. Local languages vs. French 'With the teaching of mother tongues, it's possible to move quickly towards mass literacy among the population,' said Issiaka Ballo, a professor and researcher in native languages at Mali's University of Bamako. On the other hand, "only 30% of the population has been educated in French,' the common language in the country, he added. USAID's involvement in Mali had made it the primary development partner of the government. The abrupt end of its assistance hit not only the literacy programs, but also others designed to increase adult education and expand the literacy project to public schools. The Gaoussou Dabo School in the Malian capital, Bamako, is among 1,000 schools that benefited from mother-tongue education thanks to funding from USAID. Teachers trained for the program last year continue to teach, but the monitoring and evaluation aspect of the program has been withdrawn. The funding cut was "a big shock for us,' said Amadi Ba, a counsellor at the Pedagogical Animation Center, which is in charge of the school in Bamako. In a country where local language-education relies solely on funding from Mali's development partners with little to no help from the government, concerns exceed its immediate impact on the education of children. In 2023, Mali's military government decided to make the country's native tongues the official languages in place of French, which then became the 'working language.' Official documents, including the constitution, the mining code and other texts, were then translated into the national languages. The USAID cut will "certainly have a negative impact on the development of mother-tongue education, especially since it came in the middle of the school year,' Cissé said. 'We haven't even had time to think about a mechanism to cushion the blow,' she added. Training improves a farming business While it lasted, the program was beneficial to many in various ways. Oumou Traoré, a mother of two who grows onions and eggplants for a living, recalled how the training improved her farming business, particularly in pricing her goods in Bamako's Mountougoula district. 'Since I learned to calculate the weight of my onions and keep my accounts in my mother tongue, I've started selling my onions myself,' said Traore, 29. 'I now earn $95 instead of the $60 I used to get. This has encouraged me to grow other vegetables.' A turn toward Russia The 2021 coup resulted in the country turning to Russia as a key ally after severing ties with the West, including the U.S., which at some point was Mali's leading foreign aid donor. While some experts have said the withdrawal of U.S. aid may open the door for rivals such as Russia, whose mercenaries have been accused of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings in the country, some say USAID has left a hole too large to be filled by others. 'It will be difficult to find takers for the projects left behind by USAID,' said Fatimata Touré, a development specialist and director of the Research, Study and Training Group civic group in Mali. ___ ___ The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
In Mali, USAID funding cuts hit a local language learning program that empowered thousands
MOUNTOUGOULA, Mali (AP) — For Aminata Doumbia, an 18-year-old Malian, the 'Shifin ni Tagne' project was a path for her life dreams. A phrase meaning 'our future' in the country's main local language, it refers to a yearslong program aimed at teaching around 20,000 young Malians to read and write in their local languages. Backed by $25 million in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, over five years, the project has now shut down following the Trump administration's decision to cut 90% of the agency's foreign aid. 'The joy I felt when I was selected for this project has been replaced by sadness,' said Doumbia in Mali's capital, Bamako. She had hoped to take advantage of the empowerment program to train as a pastry chef. 'I don't have any hope of realizing my dream (again),' Doumbia said. Poverty and illiteracy Doumbia is among thousands of people who now find themselves stranded in Mali, a country ravaged by high poverty and insecurity levels and where 70% of the population of at least 22 million people haven't had the opportunity to learn to read and write, according to Sylla Fatoumata Cissé, director of a government agency focusing on nonformal education and national languages in Mali. The USAID funding cut also came at a time when Mali's other development partners in Europe have withdrawn their support in the aftermath of the 2021 coup, which brought the current junta leader, Assimi Goita, to power. A path to empowerment For many, the literacy project was the only path to literacy and empowerment. Once literate, program beneficiaries move on to the next stage, which involves the acquisition of vocational skills like hairdressing, carpentry, sewing, welding, and pastry-making, according to Modibo Sissoko, literacy supervisor at the Malian Association for Survival in the Sahel nonprofit involved in the 'Shifin ni Tagne' project. These skills enable the economically disadvantaged to create jobs for themselves, earn a living or support their families, Sissoko said. Local languages vs. French 'With the teaching of mother tongues, it's possible to move quickly towards mass literacy among the population,' said Issiaka Ballo, a professor and researcher in native languages at Mali's University of Bamako. On the other hand, 'only 30% of the population has been educated in French,' the common language in the country, he added. USAID's involvement in Mali had made it the primary development partner of the government. The abrupt end of its assistance hit not only the literacy programs, but also others designed to increase adult education and expand the literacy project to public schools. The Gaoussou Dabo School in the Malian capital, Bamako, is among 1,000 schools that benefited from mother-tongue education thanks to funding from USAID. Teachers trained for the program last year continue to teach, but the monitoring and evaluation aspect of the program has been withdrawn. The funding cut was 'a big shock for us,' said Amadi Ba, a counsellor at the Pedagogical Animation Center, which is in charge of the school in Bamako. In a country where local language-education relies solely on funding from Mali's development partners with little to no help from the government, concerns exceed its immediate impact on the education of children. In 2023, Mali's military government decided to make the country's native tongues the official languages in place of French, which then became the 'working language.' Official documents, including the constitution, the mining code and other texts, were then translated into the national languages. The USAID cut will 'certainly have a negative impact on the development of mother-tongue education, especially since it came in the middle of the school year,' Cissé said. 'We haven't even had time to think about a mechanism to cushion the blow,' she added. Training improves a farming business While it lasted, the program was beneficial to many in various ways. Oumou Traoré, a mother of two who grows onions and eggplants for a living, recalled how the training improved her farming business, particularly in pricing her goods in Bamako's Mountougoula district. 'Since I learned to calculate the weight of my onions and keep my accounts in my mother tongue, I've started selling my onions myself,' said Traore, 29. 'I now earn $95 instead of the $60 I used to get. This has encouraged me to grow other vegetables.' A turn toward Russia The 2021 coup resulted in the country turning to Russia as a key ally after severing ties with the West, including the U.S., which at some point was Mali's leading foreign aid donor. While some experts have said the withdrawal of U.S. aid may open the door for rivals such as Russia, whose mercenaries have been accused of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings in the country, some say USAID has left a hole too large to be filled by others. 'It will be difficult to find takers for the projects left behind by USAID,' said Fatimata Touré, a development specialist and director of the Research, Study and Training Group civic group in Mali. ___ For more on Africa and development: ___ The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Security forces kidnap, kill civilians in central Mali
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian armed forces arrested and killed around two dozen Fulani civilians who were rounded up at a livestock market in a central region of the West African country, a local activist told Reuters. Women in the town of Diafarabe, where the incident took place, led a rare public protest on Wednesday over their disappearance. "A survivor who managed to flee from Diafarabe alerted and said that they killed them, executed some of them, slit their throats and buried them in a mass grave," the activist said. The activist, who could not be named for safety reasons, is close to Tabital Pulaaku, an international association that represents the Fulani people. The incident took place on Monday in a rural area on the banks of the Niger river, the activist said. The men were loaded onto a canoe and taken to an island cemetery, where they were killed. Mali's armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. The armed forces are backed by Russian mercenaries, previously known as Wagner and now Africa Corps, who could not be reached for comment. Human Rights Watch has accused both groups of committing atrocities and serious abuses against civilians. The U.N. last month called for an investigation after decomposing bodies were found on the outskirts of a military camp in the southwestern Koulikoro region of Mali. The country's military government, which seized power following coups in 2020 and 2021, has expelled French and other Western forces and turned to Russia for military support. Public frustration with the ruling junta is growing over the postponement of elections and a crackdown on political freedom. Hundreds of people gathered this month to call for multi-party elections, chanting slogans like "down with dictatorship, long live democracy". The protests followed a national council recommendation to grant leader Assimi Goita a new five-year mandate and dissolve all political parties.
Straits Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Security forces kidnap, kill civilians in central Mali
BAMAKO - Malian armed forces arrested and killed around two dozen Fulani civilians who were rounded up at a livestock market in a central region of the West African country, a local activist told Reuters. Women in the town of Diafarabe, where the incident took place, led a rare public protest on Wednesday over their disappearance. "A survivor who managed to flee from Diafarabe alerted and said that they killed them, executed some of them, slit their throats and buried them in a mass grave," the activist said. The activist, who could not be named for safety reasons, is close to Tabital Pulaaku, an international association that represents the Fulani people. The incident took place on Monday in a rural area on the banks of the Niger river, the activist said. The men were loaded onto a canoe and taken to an island cemetery, where they were killed. Mali's armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. The armed forces are backed by Russian mercenaries, previously known as Wagner and now Africa Corps, who could not be reached for comment. Human Rights Watch has accused both groups of committing atrocities and serious abuses against civilians. The U.N. last month called for an investigation after decomposing bodies were found on the outskirts of a military camp in the southwestern Koulikoro region of Mali. The country's military government, which seized power following coups in 2020 and 2021, has expelled French and other Western forces and turned to Russia for military support. Public frustration with the ruling junta is growing over the postponement of elections and a crackdown on political freedom. Hundreds of people gathered this month to call for multi-party elections, chanting slogans like "down with dictatorship, long live democracy". The protests followed a national council recommendation to grant leader Assimi Goita a new five-year mandate and dissolve all political parties. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
