Mali

Mali and Russia have signed a series of agreements aimed at expanding mutual trade and strengthening economic ties.

Mali’s military government has stepped up its efforts to reclaim control of its lucrative gold industry, moving decisively this week to seize operational reins of the Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex from Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold and launching construction of a new Russian-backed refinery.

The complaint targets the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA), the Burkinabe Forces, and Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps, which recently replaced the Wagner group in Africa. 

A collaborative investigation by international media outlets has uncovered secret prisons run by Russian Wagner mercenaries in Mali, where abuse and torture are carried out with impunity. Reporters with the Forbidden Stories consortium – which includes RFI's sister channel France 24 – reveal how the Wagner paramilitary group duplicated methods it has used in Russia and Ukraine. 

The Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force, said on Friday it will stay in Mali after Russia's Wagner mercenary group leaves following a 3-1/2 year fight against Islamist militants.

Islamist militants hit two more military installations on Wednesday and Thursday, Mali's army said, the latest in a quick spate of attacks that the insurgents say have killed hundreds of soldiers and underscored their gains. 

The military authorities in Mali have dissolved all political parties and repealed laws protecting political participation, drawing sharp condemnation from the UN’s top human rights official on Friday. … The clampdown comes amid a broader erosion of civic space in Mali since the military seized power in successive coups in 2020 and 2021.

The European Union has been called upon to adopt a "bold political strategy" in its engagement with the Sahel region. In an open letter addressed to the EU Vice President, Human Rights Watch said the body's "Integrated Strategy in the Sahel"  - which came into effect in April 2021 - has become largely outdated following military coups in central Sahel.

Mali's military junta has dissolved all political parties in the country amid a growing crackdown on dissent since the army seized power. "All meetings of members of political parties and organisations of a political character are dissolved across the national territory," according to a presidential decree read out on state TV on Tuesday.

A prominent opposition leader in Mali will stand trial next month for criticising the country’s military rulers, as tensions escalate over a plan to dissolve political parties and delay a return to civilian rule.