Gambiaj.com – (BAMAKO, Mali) – The Malian military junta has detained Daouda Magassa, a key figure in the movement supporting the return of exiled cleric Imam Mahmoud Dicko. Magassa, who was taken by men in civilian clothes on the evening of Wednesday, February 5, in Bamako, is currently being held by state security, according to information obtained by RFI.

Sources indicate that Magassa’s detention is part of an effort to thwart Imam Dicko’s planned return to Mali on Friday, February 14. Dicko, a vocal critic of the junta, has been living in exile in Algeria for over a year. His return has been widely anticipated, with his supporters actively mobilizing for his homecoming.

A Malian security source justified Magassa’s detention by citing intelligence concerns, stating that authorities are seeking information on Dicko’s arrival, his sources of funding, and the network supporting him.

Magassa, who handles religious affairs within the Coordination of Movements, Associations, and Sympathizers (CMAS), is also a spokesperson for the Commission for the Return of the Imam. The organization has been a significant counterforce to the junta, and Dicko himself is a highly influential religious and political figure in Mali.

One of Dicko’s supporters described Magassa’s detention as an act of intimidation. “It is intimidation, and it will continue,” he said, adding that several CMAS members, including himself, have faced phone threats and surveillance in Bamako. He further alleged that state operatives attempted to infiltrate a recent CMAS meeting. “We are prepared for all of this and remain determined,” he affirmed.

Despite the arrest and mounting pressure, supporters of Imam Dicko insist that the February 14 return date remains unchanged. Meanwhile, Magassa’s family, who initially considered filing a complaint for kidnapping, have refrained from doing so, opting instead for informal negotiations with high-ranking members of the junta in hopes of securing his release.