A prominent social media influencer in Mali was detained Wednesday after lambasting the ruling military junta as a “failure” with regards to insecurity and inflation, prosecutors told AFP. Doumbia, known for her popular posts against soaring prices, told AFP she had been arrested Monday after a live TikTok broadcast in Bamako. “Ras Bath” was detained after a rally Saturday marking the renewal of Keita’s party, the Alliance for Solidarity in Mali (ASMA). Mali is in the throes of an 11-year-old security crisis triggered by a regional revolt in the north that developed into a full-blown jihadist insurgency. Since then the military junta has severed ties with France, the country’s traditional ally, which has pulled its troops out of Mali, while seeking closer ties with Russia.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 15, 2023 18:06 UTC