G16 raises concerns over Mali’s asset freeze on journalists, lawyers, civic leaders

Michael Olumide

G16 Regional Security Advocacy Group on Counter Terrorism in Africa has called on the Government of Mali to ensure transparency, due process and respect for fundamental rights in the implementation of targeted financial sanctions imposed on 12 individuals accused of financing terrorism.

In a statement issued on Friday, the regional coalition acknowledged Mali’s responsibility to combat terrorism and terrorism financing but cautioned that such measures must be implemented in accordance with national laws and international standards to avoid undermining civic space and public confidence.

The group’s reaction followed the issuance of Order No. 2026-1409/MEF-SG of June 18, 2026, which directed banks, financial institutions and other regulated entities in Mali to freeze the assets and economic resources of 12 individuals, including journalists, lawyers, political leaders, civil society actors and a former judicial officer, over allegations of terrorism financing.

According to the G16, while terrorism remains a serious threat to Mali and the wider West African region, counter-terrorism measures should be evidence-based, proportionate and transparent, with adequate safeguards to protect the rights of those affected.

The coalition also referenced an earlier order issued on May 22, 2026, which placed former Member of Parliament and president of the SADI political party, Oumar Mariko, economist Étienne Fakaba Sissoko and the Front de libération de l’Azawad on Mali’s national targeted sanctions list.

It noted that the latest actions come against the backdrop of Mali’s fragile security environment marked by persistent attacks from armed groups, widespread displacement, weakened public confidence and growing regional instability.

According to the statement, while the Malian government has a legitimate obligation to protect citizens from terrorism and terrorism financing, the effectiveness of such measures depends on adherence to the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and accountability.

The G16 observed that Mali’s sanctions order appears to rely on domestic legal frameworks as well as international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards. However, it stressed that international guidelines, particularly those developed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), require targeted financial sanctions to be implemented through focused, risk-based and proportionate measures that do not unnecessarily disrupt legitimate civil society activities.

The advocacy group further expressed concern that the six-month renewable asset freeze appears to have been imposed without publicly available information indicating whether judicial authorisation, individualised evidence reviews or accessible appeal mechanisms were provided before the sanctions took effect.

It argued that such procedural safeguards are essential not only to protect individual rights but also to strengthen public trust in counter-terrorism efforts.

The coalition cited the FATF’s 2023 revision of Recommendation 8, which urges countries to avoid disproportionate restrictions on non-profit organisations and civil society groups while addressing terrorism financing risks through targeted and evidence-based interventions.

The G16 also referred to guidance issued by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, which warns governments against allowing counter-terrorism measures to unduly restrict civic space, freedom of association, freedom of expression and the work of human rights defenders.

According to the group, the current measures, if implemented without adequate legal safeguards and effective review mechanisms, could have far-reaching implications for freedoms guaranteed under Mali’s Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

While reaffirming its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism and the financing of terrorism, the G16 emphasised that security objectives and the protection of human rights should reinforce rather than undermine one another.

The coalition urged the Malian authorities to publicly clarify the legal and evidentiary basis for Order No. 2026-1409/MEF-SG, guarantee affected individuals access to due process and independent review mechanisms, and consider revising the sanctions where necessary to ensure compliance with both national and international legal standards.

The G16 reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the proper implementation of global counter-terrorism standards, including the FATF’s 40.

Recommendations, while advocating for an open civic space in which journalists, lawyers, political actors and civil society organisations can carry out their legitimate activities freely and within the law across West Africa.

Members of the group are: Spaces for Change | S4C West Africa; Article 19, Senegal and West Africa; Coalition Communautaire pour la Paix et la Promotion du Vivre Ensemble (COPAVE); West Africa Network for Peace Building – Togo (WANEP-Togo); BEOGE NEERE; APAC and Human Rights Reporters Ghana.