Prostitution Prostitution laws in Mali
Mali replaced its 2001 Penal Code with Law No. 2024-027 of 13 December 2024, adopted by the National Transitional Council on 31 October 2024. The new Code does not make selling or buying sex between adults an offence. Publicly soliciting another person by any means, including passive conduct, for sexual relations in exchange for payment is punishable by two months in prison and a fine of 100,000 francs (Article 325-9). Procuring, defined as aiding, assisting or protecting another's prostitution, profiting from or sharing its proceeds, or recruiting or pressuring someone into it, carries five years, a fine of 1,000,000 francs and a ten-year residence ban (Article 325-8). Forcing a person into prostitution carries ten years (Article 325-7). No specific advertising or brothel offence was found.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
The 2024 Penal Code does not punish selling or buying sex between adults. It punishes procuring, forced prostitution, inciting debauchery and public soliciting 'by any means, including passive conduct' (Articles 325-6 to 325-9). It has no separate brothel-keeping offence: organising another person's prostitution falls under procuring.[1]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | Selling sex is not an offence, but publicly soliciting another person by any means, including passive conduct, with a view to inciting them to sexual relations in exchange for payment or a promise of payment is punishable by two months' imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 francs (Article 325-9).[1] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | No offence of buying sex from an adult was found in the 2024 Code. Prostitution involving a child is treated as forced prostitution, and forcing a person to prostitute themselves carries ten years and a fine of 5,000,000 francs (Article 325-7); the article does not expressly name clients.[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | The 2024 Code has no separate brothel offence. Running a venue where others sell sex is aiding or profiting from another's prostitution, i.e. procuring (Article 325-8: five years, a fine of 1,000,000 francs and a ten-year residence ban). Holding a person against their will in a 'house of debauchery' carries three years (Article 325-6).[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Procuring is aiding, assisting or protecting another's prostitution, profiting from or sharing its proceeds, or recruiting, training or diverting a person into prostitution or pressuring them to prostitute themselves: five years, a fine of 1,000,000 francs and a ten-year residence ban (Article 325-8). Against a particularly vulnerable person it carries twenty years of criminal imprisonment and 5,000,000 francs.[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | No offence specific to advertising sexual services was found. Public soliciting 'by any means' (Article 325-9) can cover adverts placed by the person selling sex, and a third party who aids or protects another's prostitution commits procuring (Article 325-8).[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not an offence, but publicly soliciting another person by any means, including passive conduct, with a view to inciting them to sexual relations in exchange for payment or a promise of payment is punishable by two months' imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 francs (Article 325-9).[1]
Note. The Code states a single figure for each penalty; its general part treats statutory penalties as maxima.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
No offence of buying sex from an adult was found in the 2024 Code. Prostitution involving a child is treated as forced prostitution, and forcing a person to prostitute themselves carries ten years and a fine of 5,000,000 francs (Article 325-7); the article does not expressly name clients.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
The 2024 Code has no separate brothel offence. Running a venue where others sell sex is aiding or profiting from another's prostitution, i.e. procuring (Article 325-8: five years, a fine of 1,000,000 francs and a ten-year residence ban). Holding a person against their will in a 'house of debauchery' carries three years (Article 325-6).[1]
Confidence: medium. That brothel-keeping is prosecuted as procuring is a reading of the text; no case law was found.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Procuring is aiding, assisting or protecting another's prostitution, profiting from or sharing its proceeds, or recruiting, training or diverting a person into prostitution or pressuring them to prostitute themselves: five years, a fine of 1,000,000 francs and a ten-year residence ban (Article 325-8). Against a particularly vulnerable person it carries twenty years of criminal imprisonment and 5,000,000 francs.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence specific to advertising sexual services was found. Public soliciting 'by any means' (Article 325-9) can cover adverts placed by the person selling sex, and a third party who aids or protects another's prostitution commits procuring (Article 325-8).[1]
Confidence: low. This is a reading of the statutory text; no case on online advertising or websites was found.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Loi n° 2024-027 du 13 décembre 2024 portant Code pénal (Journal officiel, spécial n° 21) Law No. 2024-027 of 13 December 2024 on the Penal Code art. 325-6–325-9 · art. 702-1 | Section 6 of the chapter on morals (Articles 325-6 to 325-9) covers inciting debauchery, forced prostitution, procuring and soliciting; Article 702-1 repeals the 2001 Code.[1] | 13 December 2024 |
Timeline
Sources
- Loi n° 2024-027 du 13 décembre 2024 portant Code pénal (Journal officiel, spécial n° 21) (Law No. 2024-027 of 13 December 2024 on the Penal Code (Official Journal, special issue No. 21)). Secrétariat général du Gouvernement du Mali, 13 December 2024. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026