Mali opposition leader abducted in Bamako

BAMAKO, Mali 

Ibrahim Nabi Togola, president of the Nouvelle Vision pour le Mali (NVPM) party, was abducted on December 28th, 2024, in Bamako. 

In a statement released on December 29, the NVPM, an opposition party critical of Mali’s transitional authorities, reported that armed unidentified individuals kidnapped Togola in the ACI 2000 neighborhood of Bamako. 

The political leader was preparing to launch a new opposition coalition.

As an advocate for the restoration of democracy in Mali, Togola is a member of several political coalitions, including Jigiya Koura, the Appel du 20 Février, and the Synergie d’Action pour le Mali. 

He is also a signatory of the Déclaration du 31-Mars, which calls for a return to constitutional order.

Togola had planned to announce the creation of a new opposition platform during a press conference initially scheduled for Saturday morning.

However, the event was postponed shortly before his abduction.

A fellow political ally, currently in exile, commented on the incident: “We are living under a dictatorship. In Mali, you either support the military or remain silent. We are deeply concerned about what might happen to him.”

Togola’s disappearance has heightened fears about the safety of opposition figures in Mali and the increasing suppression of dissent under the transitional government.