Six years after Mali entered a transitional phase, a high-profile legal case is unfolding in Bamako. Six individuals, all described by authorities as close associates of former transitional President Bah N’Daw, are facing charges of conspiracy to destabilize the government. The trial opened this week at the criminal chambers of the Bamako Court of Appeal.
The defendants include three civilians and three military officers, all currently held in detention since 2021. Among them are Colonel Kassoum Goïta, former head of State Security, and Kalilou Doumbia, who served as Secretary-General of the Presidency during the early stages of the transition. Notably, Colonel Kassoum Goïta is not related to General Assimi Goïta, the current transitional leader. The group also includes an army sergeant from State Security, a police commissioner, a business figure, and a traditional spiritual advisor.
Central to the case is the accusation of attempting to overthrow the government, though authorities have not disclosed specific details of the alleged plot. The charges stem from a period marked by political turbulence, spanning the August 2020 coup and the subsequent May 2021 takeover that removed Bah N’Daw from power.
Defense attorneys argue that this trial is politically motivated, targeting individuals solely because of their past association with Bah N’Daw. They point out that despite a June 2022 court ruling in favor of Kalilou Doumbia and Moustapha Diakité, a former police commissioner from Kayes, both men remain detained. In January 2023, an appeals court ordered all six defendants to stand trial, and since then, their requests for provisional release have been consistently denied.
The legal team maintains that their clients are innocent and were simply fulfilling their official duties during a turbulent period in Mali’s history. They expressed hope that the ongoing trial would finally clarify the facts and clear the names of the accused. During the hearings, the six defendants are expected to vigorously deny the allegations against them.
In a separate but related development, defense lawyers filed a complaint in December 2021 against General Modibo Koné, the current Director of State Security, alleging misconduct during the arrests. To date, no judicial action has been taken on that complaint.
