Mali: seven years ago, the disappearance of journalist Birama Touré
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) banner asking for the truth about the disappearance of Birama Touré.
© RSF
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
This Sunday, it's been seven years to the day that the Malian journalist, Birama Touré, disappeared.
According to an investigation by Reporters Without Borders released last year, the reporter for the investigative newspaper
Le Sphinx
would most likely have died as a result of abuse inflicted during his incommunicado detention in the premises of the intelligence services in 2016.
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Birama Touré was investigating in particular
Karim Keïta
, son of former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.
Since the 2020 coup in Mali, the investigation has made progress, but RSF is asking the courts to go further and the power in place to help reveal the truth.
"
What is perhaps a little alarming is that
only General Moussa Diawara
, who was therefore the head of state security, was apprehended
," explains Arnaud Froger, head of the organization's Africa office. , at the microphone of
Sébastien Nemeth
, from the Africa editorial staff.
Of course, he is not the only one responsible.
There is obviously no desire for other protagonists to be heard despite several requests from the courts in this direction and that we can only deplore.
»
“
Beneath him, there were performers: there are people who were able to participate in his arrest, his kidnapping and it is surprising that these people were not apprehended,
continues the representative of RSF.
Mr. Ndiaye, for example, who was number two in state security, was appointed a special adviser to the Ministry of Defense a month ago.
The real question is the motivations behind this trial: do we want justice for the journalist Birama Touré, or have we just sought through this affair to dismiss Moussa Diawara?
»
►
To read also
:
Malian journalist Birama Touré tortured to death by state security, according to RSF
►
and
on the RSF website
“
One of the elements that is also worrying for the future (is that) time is against the resolution of this case, memories are less good and above all key witnesses have already disappeared.
There is really an urgent need for the Malian State to respond to the demands of the Malian justice system so that we know what happened
, ”concludes Arnaud Forger.
A feeling shared by Adama Dramé, publication director of the
Sphinx
, a refugee in Paris.
“
The investigation has evolved a lot, we were able to locate the responsibilities.
There have been arrests, including those of the former director at the time of the SE.
An international arrest warrant has been issued against Karim Keïta.
But today we have certain hindrances that are at the level of certain people.
Furthermore, the colonel we are talking about, one of his informers, showed where Birama's body would be.
We ask that there be transport to the place and then look for the body.
We ask the authorities who promised us the "
new Mali", that there is justice both for Birama and for the dozens of people who died in the premises of State Security. Today, there should be fewer obstacles, that We let justice do its job. That's all we ask.
"
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