On June 18, Minister of State for the Economy and Finance Alousséni Sanou issued a decree imposing targeted financial sanctions for a renewable period of six months against twelve individuals accused of supporting terrorism — specifically, Al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) secessionist rebel group waging war on the Malian state. Seven of the twelve individuals are prominent critics of the junta: journalist Malick Konaté, online commentators Sékou Tounkara, Boubacar Soumahoro (better known as Bouba Fané), and Youssouf Doumbia (aka Delfro), opposition politician Ismaïla Sacko, women’s rights activist Kadidia Fofana, and former magistrate Cheick Mohamed Chérif Koné.

The seven junta critics join author and academic Dr. Etienne Fakaba Sissoko and opposition politician Oumar Mariko, whom the junta also placed under targeted sanctions last month.