Mali’s transitional government was urged this Friday by the organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) to investigate alleged systemic sexual abuse in the country’s women’s basketball, sanctioned by the International Federation (FIBA), which has suspended or banned several perpetrators.
“All Malian government agencies with jurisdiction over the matter, including the judiciary, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Federation and FIBA, must investigate the abuses and cover-ups that resulted in FIBA sanctions,” HRW urged.
According to the independent report commissioned by FIBA, there has been “institutional acceptance of sexual abuse” and “harassment and retaliation against whistleblowers” in the Malian federation, for which HRW calls for “urgent continuous monitoring”.
This body also expresses its concern about the appointment in December of Jean-Claude Sidibé as president of the Malian federation, as according to the FIBA report, this leader allegedly threatened witnesses about the abuse of former coach Amadou Bamba, thus defying the zero-tolerance policy against this violating behavior.
Last June, FIBA suspended the former coach and penalized four other top officials, including former federation president Harouna Maiga.
HRW urges Mali’s Ministry of Youth and Sports to establish a government commission of inquiry to conduct an impartial investigation into “systematic sexual abuse in women’s basketball and other women’s sports in Mali.”
The Mali women’s basketball sex abuse scandal came to light in June 2021, when FIBA suspended several elements of the African federation charged with abusing several players.
Source: DN
