A court in Abidjan has sentenced Malian politician Mamadou Hawa Gassama to three years in prison for insulting Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.
Gassama, who serves in Mali’s transitional parliament under the current military-led government, had described Ouattara as an “enemy of Mali” during a media interview in September 2022.
Relations between Mali and Ivory Coast have been strained since military coups in 2020 and 2021 brought General Assimi Goita to power in Mali.
President Ouattara had criticised those takeovers, which were part of a wave of coups across the Sahel region.
Gassama was charged with “insulting” a foreign head of state and “disseminating offensive expressions online”.
The court handed him a three-year jail term, along with a fine.
After serving his sentence, he will also be barred from living in Ivory Coast for another three years.
His lawyer, Mamadou Ismaila Konate, described the ruling as harsh and excessive.
‘We believe that this decision is, first of all, excessive; it is serious, and it is very severe,” Gassama’s lawyer told reporters.
Gassama is known for his outspoken views. Before the 2020 coup that removed former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, he was a member of the opposition in Mali’s parliament.
KanyiDaily recalls that President Alassane Ouattara won a fourth term in Ivory Coast’s 2025 election, with provisional results showing a decisive victory for the 83-year-old leader.
