Malian opposition group demands release of parliament's vice president

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – A Malian opposition political movement Wednesday called for the immediate release of its leader and the fourth vice president of the interim parliament in Mali who was arrested on Tuesday.

Issa Kaou N’Djim, the leader of the opposition group called the Citizen Call for the Success of the Transition (ACRT-FASO KA WALE), was arrested by the gendarmerie in the capital Bamako over “subversive remarks” on social media.

The arrest came days after he had criticized the government head following Mali’s decision to declare the special representative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Mali “persona non grata”.

A statement issued by the group’s Secretary General Soya Djigue called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of Kaou Djim, adding that “freedom of expression and opinion is the foundation of any democracy.”

The ACRT “reaffirms its support for its president and calls on its members to remain mobilized,” it added.

Kaou N’Djim’s lawyer Kassoum Tapo contended that his client was being held illegally because his parliamentary immunity was not waived before being arrested.

N’Djim was elected vice president of an interim parliament established in the aftermath of a military coup led by Assimi Goita in August 2020, which ousted elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Kaou N’Djim is also known for his sharp criticism of Mali’s interim Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga.