Fresh disappearance follows Mountaga Tall’s abduction
The legal team representing the family reports that Cheick Mamadou Tall was reported missing on May 16, shortly after receiving a telephone call. This alarming development comes just two weeks after Mountaga Tall himself was forcibly taken from Bamako on May 2. Family members allege the lawyer was seized by unidentified assailants wearing hoods. To date, no official statement has clarified their detention locations or the circumstances surrounding their abductions.
From military ally to outspoken critic
Mountaga Tall, a former influential member of the M5 movement that played a pivotal role in toppling President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in 2020, initially backed the military junta before emerging as one of its most vocal opponents. The attorney currently represents several soldiers facing charges of attempting to destabilize state institutions, while also challenging in court the military-led transitional authorities’ decision to dissolve political parties.
Deteriorating security backdrop
These troubling events unfold against a backdrop of mounting security and political instability. Late April witnessed coordinated attacks by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, alongside rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), targeting key regime positions. In response, the Tall family’s legal counsel has urged administrative and judicial authorities to take immediate action to locate the missing men and uncover the full truth behind their disappearances.
