Maghreb Edition

Sahel: Mali official claims responsibility for an anti-Trump tweet

Posted On 8 January 2020

Number of times this article was read : 208

Bamako, Jan 7, 2020 – A former Malian government official claimed responsibility Tuesday for embarrassing tweets from the president’s account which labelled the US assassination of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani as a “fuck-up”.  Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s official Twitter account had posted Monday that “no one is around to tell Trump that he committed a fuck-up” by ordering the assassination. Soleimani was killed on Friday in a US drone strike in Iraq ordered by President Donald Trump, triggering fears of a retaliatory strike and an escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

The Malian presidency account added that Trump “threatens world peace and has made of the US a rogue state”. The tweets, which have since been deleted, were widely shared. But the government walked back from the comments on Monday night, saying the account had been “temporarily pirated by ill-intentioned individuals” and calling the posts “an unfortunate mistake”.

The author of the affair turned out to be a former spokesperson for Keita, Tiegoum Maiga, who outed himself on his own Twitter account. “It was neither pirates, nor hackers, (but) a regrettable handling error,” he said. Maiga, also the brother of former Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, said he left his job in November but had forgotten he still had access to the president’s account.

His tweets were meant for his personal account and he had “no desire to be a nuisance,” Maiga said. The US also suffered a PR fiasco on Monday, when it said a draft letter describing steps to move its military out of Iraq had been mistakenly sent out.

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.