Maghreb Edition

Sahel: Mali opposition leader Soumaila Cisse goes missing

Posted On 26 March 2020

Number of times this article was read : 348
Bamako, March 25, 2020 – Leading Malian opposition leader Soumaila Cisse went missing in the war-torn centre of the country on Wednesday afternoon, his party said, with no-one is able to contact him since. In a statement released on Wednesday, Cisse’s Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD) party said the politician and his team had gone missing after campaigning near the town of Niafunke, in central Mali. Cisse is a former minister of finance and has run for president of Mali three times. He and his team were expected at the nearby village of Koumaira later in the afternoon but never turned up, the statement added, also saying that they were  no longer reachable by telephone.
Mali has been struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in the north in 2012, and which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives. Despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops, the conflict in Mali has engulfed the centre of the country and spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists are active in the area of central Mali where Cisse and his team disappeared.
The circumstances of the disappearance remain unclear, however, and AFP was unable to reach Mali’s government for comment.”The party is deeply concerned about the situation and invites the government, the armed and security forces, and (the UN) to deploy all their energies to find them,” the URD statement said.
By AFP
The North Africa Journal's WhatsApp Group
.

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Niger Moves Uranium From SOMAÏR Mine Despite Arbitration Ruling

Niger’s military authorities have authorized the removal and transport of uranium from the SOMAÏR mine at Arlit without the involvement of longtime operator Orano, prompting the French nuclear group to denounce the shipment as illegal and in breach of a September 2025 World Bank–linked arbitration ruling. While Niamey signals plans to sell the stock on the open market as an assertion of resource sovereignty, the move raises legal, safety, and security concerns as uranium travels by road through conflict‑affected Sahel corridors.

Benin Soldiers Mount Brief Coup Attempt

In the span of a few hours on December 7, a small group of soldiers in Benin, West Africa, moved from night‑time attacks on senior officers’ homes to a televized announcement claiming they had removed President Patrice Talon and suspended the constitution. Forces loyal to the government swiftly retook the national broadcaster and key positions in Cotonou, and authorities now say the coup attempt has been defeated even as some officers remain missing and questions about the mutineers’ support network persist.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.