The trial of six individuals accused of allegedly plotting against Mali’s transitional government opened on Tuesday, before the criminal chamber of the Bamako Court of Appeal.
Among the defendants are former State Security Director-General Kassoum Goïta and former Secretary-General of the Presidency Kalilou Doumbia, both of whom have been detained since 2021.
The case dates back to the months following the leadership change that occurred within the transition in May 2021.
Three military or security personnel and three civilians are standing trial on charges initially described as criminal conspiracy, attempted attack and conspiracy against the government. The term “attempted coup,” widely used to describe the case, reflects the allegations of destabilisation raised at the outset of the investigation.
Alongside Kassoum Goïta and Kalilou Doumbia, those appearing before the court include Chief Police Commissioner Moustapha Diakité, Master Sergeant Abdoulaye Ballo, businessman Sandhi Ahmed Saloum and Issa Samaké, also known as “Djoss.” On November 5, 2021, the prosecutor of Commune VI in the Bamako District announced the opening of a judicial investigation against the six men.
At the start of Tuesday’s hearing, defence lawyers raised several procedural objections. The court reviewed the motions before rejecting the initial challenges and proceeding with the case, according to information published by the state-owned daily L’Essor. Further details of the arguments presented by both sides and the court’s responses were expected to emerge during the proceedings.
Kassoum Goïta headed the State Security Agency under President Bah N’Daw, who led Mali’s first transitional administration following the overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in August 2020. Despite sharing the same surname, he is not known to be related to transitional president Assimi Goïta. He was among the officers involved in the August 2020 change of power before assuming responsibilities within the intelligence services.
Several months before his arrest, Kassoum Goïta was awarded the rank of Officer of the National Order of Mali for his contribution to securing the release of former opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé and three Western hostages. The distinction was conferred in February 2021 by decree of Transitional President Bah N’Daw.
Kalilou Doumbia, a professor of public law, served as Secretary-General of the Presidency during the same period. Bah N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were arrested and removed from office in May 2021 following the announcement of a cabinet reshuffle. Assimi Goïta, then Vice-President of the transition, subsequently assumed leadership of the state.
The first arrests linked to the case began in September 2021. After several weeks of investigations, the six men were formally charged and remanded in custody in early November. At the time, the prosecutor’s statement referred to an investigation into criminal conspiracy, attempted attack and conspiracy against the government, without publicly detailing the alleged plan or the means purportedly involved.
The judicial process reached a first turning point on June 17, 2022, when the investigating judge dismissed charges against Kalilou Doumbia and Moustapha Diakité while maintaining proceedings against the other four defendants for attempted conspiracy. Four days later, the Prosecutor General at the Bamako Court of Appeal lodged an appeal, resulting in all six accused remaining in detention while the matter continued.
According to documents cited by their lawyers, a referral ruling issued on January 10, 2023, subsequently sent the case to the criminal court. The trial is therefore opening more than three years after that decision and nearly five years after the initial arrests.
Since the beginning of the case, the defence has denied all allegations and called for the acquittal of its clients. Lawyers have also challenged the legality of certain procedural aspects, including the circumstances of the arrests and the length of pre-trial detention. These arguments are expected to be examined alongside the evidence presented by the prosecution.
Two of the defendants were also the subject of administrative measures at the end of 2025.
Under decrees signed on December 30, Kassoum Goïta was dismissed from the army’s personnel rolls, while Moustapha Diakité was removed from the ranks of the Armed and Security Forces. The official texts describe these actions as disciplinary measures taken following internal investigations. They remain separate from the determination of criminal responsibility by the court.
The trial is expected to allow prosecutors to present the allegations against each of the six defendants and the evidence gathered during the investigation, while the defence responds to the charges and presents its case before the criminal chamber.
All six defendants are presumed innocent until a final judgment is delivered. Initial reports from the hearing confirm the opening of proceedings and the rejection of several preliminary motions, ahead of the defendants’ questioning, the prosecution’s submissions, the defence pleadings and the court’s eventual verdict.
MD/te/Sf/lb/as/APA