Omanghana
Mali’s former head of state security, Colonel-Major Kassoum Goïta, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy against the government and criminal association.
The Criminal Chamber of the Bamako Court of Appeal delivered the verdict following a trial that began on July 14, 2026. Goïta and five other defendants were accused of participating in an alleged plan to destabilise Mali’s transitional authorities.
Goïta, former state security officer Abdoulaye Ballo, businessman Sandi Ahmed Saloum and Issa Samaké, also known as “Djoss,” each received 15-year prison sentences.
Former Secretary-General of the Presidency Kalilou Doumbia and police commissioner Moustapha Diakité were sentenced to seven years for complicity in criminal association and conspiracy against the government.
Prosecutors had requested 20-year prison terms for several of the accused, arguing that the evidence supported convictions for conspiring against the government and attempting to destabilize the transitional administration.
All six defendants denied participating in any coup plot. Goïta told the court that he had never initiated or supported a plan to destabilise Mali’s institutions and maintained that the evidence did not establish his involvement.
Defence lawyers described the prosecution’s case as politically motivated and based on assumptions rather than credible evidence. They argued that the accused were being targeted because of their links to former transitional president Bah N’Daw.
The lawyers are expected to challenge the verdict through the available domestic legal processes. They have also indicated that they may pursue the matter before international institutions after exhausting legal remedies in Mali.
The proceedings brought renewed attention to the conditions under which the defendants had been detained since 2021.
Goïta and his co-defendants alleged that they were abducted, tortured and held for nearly five years before receiving a full opportunity to challenge the accusations in court. The Malian authorities have not publicly accepted those allegations.
The case dates to the political upheaval that followed Mali’s second military takeover in May 2021.
After the August 2020 overthrow of elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, a transitional administration was established under President Bah N’Daw. During that period, Kassoum Goïta served as director-general of state security, while Doumbia worked as secretary-general of the presidency.
Colonel Assimi Goïta, who is not related to Kassoum Goïta, removed N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane in May 2021 before assuming control of the transition.
Kassoum Goïta lost his position after that leadership change and was detained later in 2021 alongside the other defendants.
The prosecution presented the case as an attempt to prevent a plot against the transitional government. The defence, however, said authorities had failed to explain the precise acts allegedly committed by the accused or produce sufficient evidence of an organised coup plan.
The convictions come amid continuing criticism of Mali’s military-led government over political restrictions, prolonged detentions and its treatment of dissenting figures.
Despite the verdict, the case is expected to continue through appeals as defense lawyers seek to overturn the convictions and prison sentences.
Source: Omanghana
