Journalist Seydou Oumar Traoré, managing director of Radio Baoulé FM in Mali, was released from prison on November 26, 2025, after completing a one-year sentence, six months of which had been suspended. His conviction stemmed from the offence of “offending a foreign head of state,” relating to comments he made about General Mamady Doumbouya, the transitional President of Guinea.
Traoré was arrested on May 26, 2025, shortly after a video circulating widely on social media showed him accusing General Doumbouya of “betraying the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) by collaborating with Western powers to host terrorist bases in Guinea.” The remarks triggered swift action from Mali’s Cybercrime Unit, which placed him in custody upon his return from an official mission to Kidal as part of a Defence Ministry delegation.
His case was subsequently referred to Mali’s National Cybercrime Court, which handed down the one-year sentence (with six months suspended) and imposed a fine of one million CFA francs (approximately USD 1,785.58). Traoré later issued a public apology in a video delivered in Dioula, acknowledging the gravity of the situation and appealing for leniency. Despite the apology, he remained in detention until the completion of his sentence.
The editorial staff of Radio Baoulé FM welcomed his release and issued a statement thanking supporters who had advocated for their colleague throughout the ordeal. They noted that Traoré intends to resume work once his health improves.
Traoré’s case is part of a broader pattern of criminal sanctions in Mali targeting commentary about leaders of other military-led states in the sub-region. In November 2024, private broadcaster Joliba TV was suspended for six months after political activist Issa Kaou N’Djim made critical comments about Burkina Faso’s President, Ibrahim Traoré, during a televised programme. N’Djim was later convicted of “publicly offending a foreign head of state” and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
The legal basis for Traoré’s conviction rests on provisions relating to press and cybercrime offences, including the offence of insulting foreign leaders. However, Mali also has a dedicated press framework, notably Law No. 00-046/AN-RM of July 7, 2000, which outlines protections for press freedom and specific procedures for addressing press-related offences. The law, supplemented by several decrees governing broadcasting and sanction regimes, affirms that journalistic work should be handled within a system designed to protect media freedom while ensuring accountability.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) welcomes the release of Seydou Oumar Traoré but remains concerned about the continued use of criminal provisions to address journalistic or expressive content, particularly in matters involving commentary on regional political developments. Criminal prosecution of speech offences risks encouraging self-censorship, narrowing civic space and undermining Mali’s commitments to press freedom.
MFWA urges Malian judicial authorities to give full effect to the country’s press-specific legal regime and to prioritise civil or administrative remedies over custodial sentences in matters involving journalistic expression. We further call on the transitional authorities to refrain from using criminal law to stifle public debate on regional issues, and to safeguard the rights of journalists and citizens to express opinion, even critical ones, without fear of imprisonment.
