NGOs urge Malian authorities for transparency on abduction of Mountaga Tall

International NGOs have urged Malian authorities for transparency on the whereabouts of prominent lawyer and politician Mountaga Tall, six months after his abduction.

On the night of May 3, armed and masked men abducted Mountaga Tall from his home in Bamako.

His son Cheick Mamadou Tall went missing two weeks later and never returned. Six months on, their fates remain unknown.

On Monday, Amnesty International demanded that Malian authorities investigate the disappearances and disclose what happened to the two men.

“The Malian authorities cannot continue to evade their responsibility to independently, impartially and transparently investigate the disappearances of Mountaga and Cheick Mamadou Tall", said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

Sivieude demanded proof that Tall and his son are alive. He said they should have access to their families, lawyers and doctors.

“If they are suspected of having committed an offence, they must be promptly brought before a judge, informed of the specific charges against them and afforded all fair trial guarantees. Otherwise, they must be immediately released,” he added.

Human Rights Watch issued a similar call on October 30, saying the lack of information "raises fears" for the men's safety and "deepens their family’s anguish".

Mountaga Tall was the leader of the National Congress for Democratic Initiative, which was dissolved in 2025 alongside the rest of Mali's political parties.

Tall had become known as a vocal critic of the military junta in the country.