On August 19, 2025, Mali’s political landscape was shaken once again as the country’s former prime minister, Choguel Kokalla Maiga, was formally charged with embezzlement of public funds and remanded in custody following a hearing before the Supreme Court. According to AFP and the Associated Press, Maiga, aged 67, was notified of the charges by the prosecutor general and placed in detention—a move that has sparked renewed debate about the military junta’s tightening grip on power and the state of democracy in the West African nation.
Maiga’s arrest comes at a fraught moment for Mali. The country, plagued by violence from armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIL since 2012, has seen its civilian government toppled not once, but twice in recent years. Colonel Assimi Goita, who led both the 2020 and 2021 coups, now serves as transitional president. Under his rule, the military has repeatedly postponed the return to civilian government, dissolved all political parties, and jailed critics and civil society leaders.
Maiga’s fall from grace is especially notable given his history. Once a leading figure in the protests that ousted Mali’s previous civilian government in 2020, Maiga was appointed prime minister after the second coup in 2021. For a time, he was a crucial civilian face for the junta, helping lend it an air of legitimacy both at home and abroad. But his relationship with the military soured dramatically in November 2024, when he publicly criticized the junta for its lack of transparency and its repeated delays in returning power to civilians. Shortly after, he was dismissed from his post. Since then, Maiga has emerged as one of the military’s most outspoken critics.
The charges against Maiga are serious. The public prosecutor alleges that he engaged in money laundering involving "many billions of CFA francs," or several million US dollars, during his tenure as prime minister. The case was reportedly triggered by a report from Mali’s auditor general scrutinizing the management of public funds under Maiga’s leadership. Maiga’s lawyer, Cheick Oumar Konare, told AFP, "We believe in justice, we are calm while awaiting the trial." As of now, no date has been set for the proceedings, and Maiga is expected to remain in custody until then.
Maiga is not alone in facing the courts. On the same day as his hearing, nine of his former colleagues from his time as prime minister also appeared before the Supreme Court. According to AFP, two were charged, some were acquitted, and others are still awaiting their hearings. The crackdown extends beyond Maiga’s circle: earlier in August, another former prime minister, Moussa Mara, was imprisoned after tweeting support for jailed critics of the military regime. Mara’s case, much like Maiga’s, has drawn criticism from observers who see the arrests as part of an escalating campaign to silence dissent.
Mali’s political crisis cannot be separated from its ongoing security nightmare. Since 2012, the country has been embroiled in conflict with armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL, as well as local criminal gangs. The violence has killed thousands and displaced up to 350,000 people, according to Human Rights Watch. The chaos provided the backdrop for the 2020 mass protests that paved the way for the military’s first coup. The promise of stability and a swift return to civilian rule proved elusive. Instead, the military’s hold on power has only grown stronger, with Colonel Goita’s mandate extended by five years in July 2025—renewable, and without elections.
The junta’s actions have not gone unnoticed by the international community or by domestic observers. Experts warn that the arrest of high-profile opposition figures like Maiga is a sign of the regime’s fragility, not its strength. Alioune Tine, former United Nations rapporteur on Mali to the Security Council, told Al Jazeera, "If the most prominent opposition leaders are arrested and imprisoned, including Choguel, who once gave the junta credibility, then I believe today the junta credibility is greatly weakened." Tine argued that the only path forward is for President Goita to "free political prisoners, release activists and journalists, and open a national dialogue that leads to real democratic elections."
Maiga himself, before his arrest, was vocal about the dangers of the military’s increasing authoritarianism. In a 2023 interview with Al Jazeera, he declared, "We must refound the Malian state, so that no political power can ever again create the conditions for a return to an unconstitutional order!" Since his dismissal, he has accused the junta of weaponizing the courts to stifle opposition, a charge that resonates with many in Mali’s battered civil society.
The crackdown is not limited to politicians. The military’s dissolution of all political parties in May 2025, as reported by the Associated Press, has further narrowed the space for dissent. Many leading civil society figures, journalists, and activists have also found themselves behind bars or facing threats. The junta’s approach has drawn condemnation from regional and international organizations, but so far, external pressure has done little to reverse the trend.
In the face of mounting isolation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)—from which Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has withdrawn—the military authorities have sought new alliances. The three countries have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), creating a 5,000-strong joint military force to battle the armed groups that continue to menace the region. While the AES represents an attempt to assert regional autonomy and tackle shared security threats, critics argue that it does little to address the underlying political crisis at home.
General Abdoulaye Maiga, formerly the government spokesman, has replaced Choguel Maiga as prime minister. But for many Malians, the change in personnel has not brought a change in direction. The military’s campaign against perceived enemies—whether real or imagined—continues, with no clear end in sight.
As Mali moves deeper into uncertainty, the fate of its former leaders has become a barometer for the country’s troubled democracy. The charges against Choguel Maiga, the jailing of Moussa Mara, and the dissolution of political parties all point to a government determined to consolidate power at almost any cost. The coming months will reveal whether Mali’s military rulers are willing to heed calls for dialogue and reform, or whether the cycle of repression and unrest will persist.
For now, as the world watches, Mali stands at a crossroads—its future uncertain, its past a stark warning of the dangers of unchecked power.
