BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Alassane Abba, a prominent political activist and a leader of the former political party Codem, has been released after a month in captivity. His family reported that he was abducted by Mali's military authorities and was dropped off along a road in the capital city, Bamako, on Thursday, according to his son, Alhousseini Jannatta Alassane.

The family suspects that the intelligence services were behind Abba's kidnapping; however, there has been no confirmation from any authorities. The intelligence agencies in Mali typically do not comment on such matters to the media, and other government officials were not immediately available for remarks.

Alassane Abba, who served as the secretary-general of Codem, was seized on May 9 after publicly criticizing the government's crackdown on civic rights and denouncing the ruling junta’s failure to conduct elections since a coup in 2021. His abduction took place during a wave of pro-democracy demonstrations in Bamako, which expressed dissatisfaction with the military government's increasing authoritarianism and demanded a return to democratic governance. Several other political figures remain detained for voicing their opposition to the junta.

Mali, a landlocked nation situated in the semiarid Sahel region, has been grappling with ongoing political and security instability that has affected West and Central Africa over the last decade. The country has experienced two military coups since 2020, coinciding with a worsening insurgency by jihadi groups linked to both al-Qaida and the Islamic State. In response to protests, arrests of pro-democracy activists have surged, underscored by a recent decree issued by General Assimi Goita, the president of the transitional government, which dissolved political parties following demonstrations by pro-democracy activists.

Overall, the political climate in Mali remains tense, with continuous challenges to civic rights and freedoms. The release of Alassane Abba may be seen as a complex development, reflective of the broader struggle for democracy in a nation that has been enduring substantial political upheaval.