Mali-Ivory Coast | Malian MP Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Malian lawmaker Mahamadou Hawa Gassama has reportedly been sentenced to five years in prison in Ivory Coast. A member of Mali’s National Transitional Council (CNT), Gassama was brought before the criminal court of the Abidjan-Plateau Court of First Instance following proceedings initiated by the investigating judge. He was scheduled to appear before the court on Friday, January 9, 2026. Gassama was arrested in Ivory Coast on July 2, 2025, after previously making remarks deemed insulting toward the Ivorian state and President Alassane Ouattara. He was detained after traveling to the country following those statements.