FEMAFOOT: Confusion and tension surround the election of the president

The electoral commission under fire

To understand all this, you have to go back to 1 August, when the first-instance electoral commission held a press briefing at FEMAFOOT headquarters and announced it had accepted two lists, those of Salaha Baby and of the outgoing president Mamoutou Touré, out of the 4 that had submitted candidacies. The lists of the two other contenders, Sékou Diogo Keita and Hammadoun Sangho, were rejected by the Commission for lack of sponsorship.

Indeed, under article 41.3 "the executive committee is elected by list ballot, and each list must be supported by at least seven (07) FEMAFOOT members, including at least two (2) Regional Leagues and five (5) professional clubs. The list must include at least two female candidates, failing which it will be invalidated. Each member may support only one list."

Following the rejection of his application to run for the FEMAFOOT presidency, Dr Sékou Diogo Kéita has condemned the electoral commission's decision. On the contentious question of candidate sponsorship, he clarified his position at a press conference. "The transitional provision (article 119.2 of the FEMAFFOT texts) that allowed D1 and D2 clubs to represent professional clubs at the FEMAFOOT General Assembly has been void since the end of the 2021-2022 sporting season. As a result, it makes sponsorship impossible." He added: "In Mali, there are no professional clubs."

Salaha Baby approved, then… rejected

After his own candidacy and that of Salaha Baby had been approved, Mamoutou Touré asked the Femafoot Electoral Appeals Commission to invalidate his rival's candidacy for double sponsorship. After a legal analysis, in its decision issued on 4 August, the appeals commission invalidated Salaha Baby's candidacy on the basis of documents supplied by the outgoing president.

It is an "unacceptable" decision, says Abba Mahamane, a member of the campaign team for Salah Baby's list. This unjustified decision, he says, taken by the Electoral Appeals Commission, is not based on any FEMAFOOT text.

Mamatou Touré in pre-trial detention

On Wednesday 9 August, the news broke. Mamoutou Touré, president of the Malian Football Federation and a candidate for re-election, was placed in pre-trial detention at Bamako's Central Prison. He was charged and remanded in custody after being questioned by the investigating judge in office number 9 of the economic and financial division of the court of first instance of Commune 3 of the Bamako district, over alleged offences against public property and alleged forgery and use of forged documents.

Meanwhile, the election of the new executive board is scheduled for 29 August, as the process is still going ahead, as announced on 12 August by the federation's general secretary, Ibrahim Traoré, at a press briefing.

Salaha Baby's camp has taken the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have the appeals electoral commission's invalidation of his list overturned. Mamoutou Touré's camp is continuing its tour to meet the voting members, even though his is the only validated list at present.

Sports ministry turns to FIFA

The latest twist is the referral to FIFA by Mali's minister for sports and civic development. In a letter dated 15 August addressed to Secretary General Fatouma Samoura, Abdoul Kassim Ibrahim Fomba "asks FIFA to take close interest in the ongoing process so that it is conducted in strict compliance with the rules that govern football" and stressed that the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Mali cannot accept "any harm to the proper functioning of football in Mali, or that such harm leads to divisions among the population between different regions of the country, with the serious consequences this could bring, notably disturbances to public order."

In a statement made public on 22 August, the Union of Former Footballers of Mali, led by Moctar Sow and bringing together several generations of former Malian players, decided to remain neutral after its meeting on Saturday 19 August and issued an urgent appeal "for calm, peace of heart and mind, and living together, and calls on everyone to put at the heart of their decisions and actions the preservation of unity, peace and cohesion, so that we do not fall into the crisis of institutional governance that led to the loss of gains made over many years."

As for FIFA, on Tuesday 22 August it appointed Egyptian Ahmed Harraz, a member of its governance committee, and Swiss official Gelson Fernandez, now in charge of African associations, to oversee the election, which is due in principle to take place at Bamako's international conference centre on 29 August.