Silent for months, Imam Mahmoud Dicko has come out of his silence. In a video shared on social media on Monday, this so-called “influential religious figure” and outspoken critic of the authorities in Bamako called on Malians to join a new opposition coalition formed in exile at the beginning of December.
Based in Algiers since December 2023, where he enjoys the support of the military regime of General Saïd Chengriha, this self-proclaimed religious leader has not returned to Mali, and his relations with Malian leaders have significantly deteriorated.
In early December, several exiled opposition figures, mainly based in Algeria, officially announced the creation of the “Coalition of Forces for the Republic” (CFR), intended to unite voices opposing the transitional regime.
In his message, delivered first in Fula and then in Bambara, Mahmoud Dicko attempted to call for mobilization, but his words remain largely symbolic and lack concrete proposals in a context marked by a strong presence of armed groups supported or generated by the neighboring country.
Observers note that the imam remains close to the Algerian regime, which has been accused of links to terrorist groups, and is among those who openly criticize the Malian authorities.
Since Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have been confronted with violence from jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as other militias, these three countries have organized themselves into a confederation under the banner of the AES (Alliance of Sahel States).