There is a very specific type of comedy that plays out in the halls of power, though usually, nobody is laughing. It is the comedy of the thin-skinned leader. We are told that politicians are tough people. We are told they have shoulders broad enough to carry the weight of nations. Yet, time and time again, we see that these powerful men are actually made of the finest, most delicate china. All it takes is a few rude words regarding **West African politics** to shatter them completely.

This week, we were treated to another episode of this sad theater in the Ivory Coast. The story involves a man named **Mamadou Hawa Gassama**, a prominent **Mali lawmaker** and member of their transitional council. He decided to pay a visit to his neighbors in Ivory Coast. Now, usually, when you visit a neighbor, you bring a fruit basket or perhaps some polite conversation to ease **Mali-Ivory Coast diplomatic tensions**. Gassama brought insults. Or, as I prefer to call them, "opinions that hurt feelings."

According to the prosecutors—who are essentially the professional feelings-protectors of the state—Gassama said some very unkind things about **President Alassane Ouattara**. Specifically, he called the President a "tyrant." He also called him an "enemy of Mali." Now, in a normal world, if someone calls you a name, you have a few choices. You can ignore them. You can call them a name back. You can laugh it off because you are a secure adult with a real job. But in the world of politics, specifically in this tense corner of West Africa, you don't do any of that. You use the full force of the law to crush them.

The irony here is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Think about it for a moment. If a man calls you a tyrant, and your response is to immediately have him arrested, put on trial, and thrown in jail for a year... aren’t you just proving his point? It is the ultimate self-own. A leader who is not a tyrant would surely say, "Let this man shout at the clouds if he wants to." A leader who is secure in his power would not care what a visitor says. But by locking him up, the state has essentially signed a document agreeing with the insult. They have said, "Yes, we will use our power to silence you, just like the tyrant you said we were."

Gassama was not just given a slap on the wrist. He was sentenced to a year in prison. He also has to pay a fine. The charge? "Disturbing public order." This is my favorite phrase in the dictionary of bureaucrats. It is a magical phrase. It means absolutely nothing and absolutely everything at the same time. Did Gassama start a riot? Did he set a building on fire? Did he block traffic? No. He spoke words. But in the eyes of the court, these words were so dangerous that the entire order of the public was at risk. It suggests that the "public order" in Ivory Coast is so weak that a few sentences from a visiting politician can knock it over like a house of cards.

We must also look at the relationship between these two countries. **Mali and Ivory Coast** are like two brothers who cannot stop fighting over who gets the top bunk. Relations have been terrible for a long time. Mali is currently run by a **military junta** that has turned its back on old friends like France to hang out with new friends like Russia. Ivory Coast is still very much in the old club. They do not get along. There is bad blood everywhere. So, when Gassama showed up and started running his mouth, he wasn't just a guy with an opinion; he was a symbol of the annoying neighbor next door.

But let’s not pretend Gassama is some innocent hero of free speech, either. He is a politician playing to his own crowd back home. In Mali, insulting the Ivory Coast leadership probably earns him applause. He knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted to stir the pot. He wanted to create a scene. And the Ivory Coast government walked right into his trap. They gave him exactly what he needed to look like a martyr. Now, instead of being just a loudmouth with an opinion, he is a political prisoner. He is a victim.

This entire situation highlights the depressing reality of modern discourse. There is no room for argument anymore. There is only the jail cell. If you say something the boss doesn't like, you don't get a debate; you get handcuffs. It is childish. It is pathetic. It is the behavior of playground bullies who happen to have police forces at their disposal.

So, **Mamadou Hawa Gassama** sits in a cell, likely feeling very smug because his point has been proven. And the government of Ivory Coast sits in their offices, claiming they have protected "public order," while the rest of the world looks on and shakes its head. It turns out that sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will get you a year in prison if the person you insult has a fragile enough ego.

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### References & Fact-Check * **Original Report**: [Mali lawmaker jailed in Ivory Coast for insulting president](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74vgxp0zr4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) (BBC News) * **Context**: Mamadou Hawa Gassama is a member of Mali's National Transitional Council (CNT). * **Verdict Details**: The Abidjan court sentenced Gassama to one year in prison and a fine for "disturbing public order" following remarks made about President Alassane Ouattara.