press freedom in Mali: crackdowns escalate under goïta’s regime
Recent suspensions of live call-in shows and the arrests of journalists Chahana Takiou and Abderhmane Keïta in June underscore the severe repression faced by media professionals in Mali. Over nearly six years of transition under Assimi Goïta’s regime, press freedom has deteriorated sharply, with justice increasingly weaponized against independent voices. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warns of the growing threats to press freedom in Mali, already weakened by insecurity, and urges authorities to halt repressive measures to restore public access to factual information.
June has been a particularly challenging month for journalists in Mali. Since June 19, listeners can no longer share their concerns on “Allo Klédu”, a live call-in program broadcast by the private radio station Klédu. The High Authority for Communication (HAC) suspended the show for two months, citing “multiple violations of audiovisual communication regulations.” A decision widely seen as baseless and oppressive.
Just one day after the Pan-African Media Forum (held from June 3 to 6 in Bamako to champion press freedom across Africa), Chahana Takiou, editor-in-chief of 22 Septembre, and Abderhmane Keïta, editor of Le Témoin, were arrested. They join Youssouf Sissoko, another detained journalist, all charged under the cybercrime law. Takiou faces accusations of “undermining state credibility through judicial institutions,” while Keïta is accused of “regionalist incitement threatening national unity and state credibility.” These arrests highlight the increasingly hostile environment for journalism in Mali, which has plummeted 22 places in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index over five years, dropping from 99th to 121st.
“Before General Goïta’s coup, Mali boasted one of West Africa’s strongest media traditions. However, over the past six years, press freedom has been systematically eroded amid worsening insecurity. Journalists now face arbitrary suspensions, enforced patriotic reporting, arrests, cybercrime law abuse, financial blockades, and logistical hurdles. RSF urges General Goïta to end this repression, release Youssouf Sissoko, Chahana Takiou, and Abderhmane Keïta, and restore media independence.”
The detentions have drawn sharp criticism from media advocates, including the Press House, which condemned in a statement the judiciary’s failure to foster “peace and mutual understanding,” despite past efforts to improve relations with the press.
Over the past five years, journalists in Mali have faced mounting pressure from both the government and armed groups. Authorities have aggressively promoted ‘patriotic’ news coverage, leveraging repressive laws and a media regulator (HAC) widely perceived as biased toward the regime.
Cybercrime law: a tool to silence dissent
Chahana Takiou and Abderhmane Keïta—scheduled for trial on July 27 and August 17, respectively—are not the first victims of the cybercrime law. Earlier, Youssouf Sissoko, editor of L’Alternance, was sentenced on March 23, 2026, to two years in prison and a fine of 1 million CFA francs (€1,525) for publishing an opinion piece critical of Niger’s transitional leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani. The law has also been used to detain Boubacar Traoré, editor of L’Empire, in November 2025, over a defamation case filed by Petro-Bama’s owner regarding a land dispute article.
From international media bans to local press gag orders
In March 2022, the suspension of Radio France Internationale (RFI) and France 24 marked the government’s overt crackdown on foreign media. Since then, four French outlets—TV5 Monde, France 2, TF1, and LCI—have also been banned. The repression soon extended to local media: in 2025, Aadar Koïma (Gao), Aadar Koukia (Ansongo), and Radio Kayira (Kolondiéba) were suspended for three months for criticizing military conduct or authorities. Joliba TV News faced repeated suspensions, including a six-month ban in 2024 after Burkina Faso’s media regulator filed a complaint, symbolizing the growing alignment of narratives among Sahel Alliance members (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso). The channel resumed broadcasts on June 30, 2025, despite financial strain.
Self-censorship: the silent retreat of Mali’s press
RSF’s 2023 report “In the Skin of a Journalist in the Sahel” documented the rise of self-censorship amid escalating risks. Coverage of the April 25, 2026, attacks reflected this trend: while international media confirmed the assassination of Defense Minister Sadio Camara, many local outlets delayed reporting to avoid retaliation, waiting for official military confirmation.
Economic asphyxiation: a press sector on the brink
Since January 2021, Mali’s public press subsidies—critical for independent media—have been frozen. Introduced in 1996 by President Alpha Oumar Konaré to support private outlets, the annual 200 million CFA franc (€300,000) fund once sustained dozens of newsrooms. Its disappearance, compounded by NGO bans and international aid departures, has crippled media revenue, particularly from advertising and educational content partnerships.
A climate of terror: journalists under fire
In the past five years, armed groups in central and northern Mali, including the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), have kidnapped or killed multiple journalists. Notable cases include:
- April 2021: French reporter Olivier Dubois (freelance for Libération and Le Point) was abducted in Gao; he was freed on March 20, 2023.
- 2020–2021: Hamadoun Nialibouly and Moussa M’Bana Dicko, community radio journalists, were kidnapped in central Mali—cases remain unresolved.
- 2023: Abdoul Aziz Djibrilla (radio Naata) was killed, Harouna Attino (radio Alafia) wounded, and Saleck Ag Jiddou, Moustapha Koné (both of Radio Coton Ansongo) abducted—all during a single attack by unidentified armed men; their fate remains unknown.
Two ORTM journalists, Daouda Koné and cameraman Salif Sangaré, were kidnapped on October 14, 2025, between Sévaré and Konna (central Mali) and released on December 29.