Guidance

Mali - bereavement information

Published 31 May 2019

This guidance has been prepared by the British Embassy Bamako, reviewed and updated in October 2020.

Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be definitive, nor is it to be taken as a substitute for independent legal advice. Neither His Majesty’s Government nor its staff take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information, nor accept liability for any loss, costs, damage or expense that you might suffer as a result of relying on the information. Some of the information may not be relevant to your circumstances. The language used is intended to be general and factual, and is not meant to cause offence.

How to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

There is a lot of information below, but you may have questions. You can speak to someone by phone 24/7, any day of the year by contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London on 0207 008 1500.

If you are not in the UK, you can find the contact details of the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate online

The priority of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is to provide assistance to British nationals overseas who need the most help. The level and type of assistance they can offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case.

Introduction

When a relative or friend dies abroad, the different procedures, laws or language can cause additional distress. You may be uncertain about what to do or who to contact.

This country specific information is designed to help you through some of the practical arrangements you may need to make. It supplements the general information on death abroad produced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which applies to all countries.

Please note, as each country has its own laws and customs when a death occurs, it may not be possible to make the arrangements that you prefer, or at the time you would like.

Next of kin

The next of kin of the person who died will usually need to make decisions and practical arrangements. The next of kin can sometimes appoint another person to act on their behalf.

If you are not the next of kin, they will need to be informed. If required, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office can help you do this.

There is no legal definition of next of kin in the UK. Please note that if there is a disagreement over who is the next of kin, or the person who died did not choose a next of kin, this can cause additional complications.

Under local law the next of kin are, in order of seniority, the spouse, then the children and then the siblings and the parents. The next of kin is automatically notified of a death under local procedures. Same sex partners or spouses are not recognised under local law or practices as next of kin.

Release of information to next of kin

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will try to obtain as much information as possible after your relative or friend has died abroad. Some of this may be only available to next of kin. Consular officers may be able to obtain these themselves, or they may put you in touch directly with the authorities overseas. They may be able to provide you with details of others who can advocate on your behalf such as lawyers, charities, or other organisations.

Access to information concerning a death - other than post-mortem and police reports - is restricted. Requests for this information should be made through a legal representative. Our consular staff can provide lists of English speaking lawyers. The release of any information can take several months.

Our consular staff or the appointed lawyer will keep next of kin informed of any developments. The local authorities do not have the ability to make international calls to inform next of kin of developments in the UK. Information usually is not withheld from the family.

Insurance

It is very important to check if the person who died had insurance. If they had insurance, contact the insurance company as soon as possible. They may have a list of approved funeral directors to help you make arrangements, or be able to cover some of the costs.

If the person who died did not have insurance, the next of kin will usually have to appoint a funeral director and will be responsible for all costs. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with these costs.

Appointing a funeral director

If you decide to bring the deceased to the UK for the funeral or cremation, you may only need to appoint an international funeral director. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office produces a list of International funeral directors based in the UK

If you decide to hold a funeral in Mali, you can hire a funeral director.

There are no local laws or procedures that determine when a funeral director must be appointed. However, morgues having limited capacities, you will need to do this as soon as possible. The funeral director usually can do all paperwork on behalf of the next of kin in the country. The next of kin will need to give him formal written authorisation.

Registering the death and obtaining a death certificate

You will need to register the death with the local authorities in the country where the person died. Sometimes a funeral director can do this for you. You will usually need documents about you and the person who has died, which include information such as full name, date of birth and passport number.

The local authorities will need to be told if the person suffered from an infectious condition such as hepatitis or HIV so they can take precautions against infection.

You do not have to register the death of a British national that occurs overseas with the UK authorities. If you wish to do this, you can find more information and apply online. The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate. If it is not in English, you will need to obtain and pay a translator/ interpreter for an official translation.

Deaths are usually registered by the medical facilities who issue the death certificate if the death occurred in a medical facility. In other instances, the Police will issue the death certificate and register the death. This usually takes a day or two.

The next of kin, consular officers, legal representative or funeral director can request a copy of the death certificate from the authority who issued it. The legal representative and the funeral director will need to provide a letter proving power of attorney.

Death certificates are written in French and will include information regarding the place, date and time of the death but will not provide details regarding the cause of the death.

Post mortem examinations (autopsies)

Autopsies are not carried out in Mali unless specific request is made and only under special circumstances and costs will have to be covered by the next of kin.

Mortuary facilities

The deceased will normally be cared for by the General Hospital morgue. The next of kin will need to present themselves to the morgue to secure release of the body, although a formally appointed representative may do this on behalf of the next of kin with written permission. They will have to identify the deceased and pay for the morgue fees. Local funeral directors can advise on the procedure. Very few hospitals have mortuary facilities and standards do vary across the country with a number falling below UK standards.

Burial, cremation, repatriation

The next of kin of the person who has died will usually need to decide between a local burial or bringing the person home, which is known as repatriation. Your funeral director will usually be able to explain the options available, the costs, and help you make arrangements.

Local burial is usually possible for foreign nationals. However, cremation is not possible in Mali. The next of kin (or legal representative with formal authorisation from next of kin) do not need any special authorisation before these can take place.

Bodies are not embalmed and burial or repatriation can take place as soon as the next of kin decide to. To release and repatriate the body, in case of natural or accidental death, the local funeral director will provide you with a number of forms to complete and you will need to provide a number of official documents such as birth certificates.

Bodies cannot be donated to medical science in Mali.

If someone cannot pay for a funeral, the body will be buried in a mass grave. There are no local equivalent of a “pauper’s funeral” or charities that may be able to help pay for a funeral.

Please note if a local burial takes place, then an inquest in the UK will not be possible. For more information on inquests, see the information on UK coroners and inquests.

Return of personal belongings

Personal belongings of the person who died are usually returned to the family or the funeral director when they collect the body from the morgue. Please note, the British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.

Steps to take in the UK

You can find more information on the steps to take in the UK online. This includes information on arranging the funeral, telling the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits, and dealing with the estate of the person who died. There is a step-by-step guide

British passport cancellation

In order to avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with HM Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you will need to complete a “D1 form”. The form, and instructions on where to send it is available online

If you plan to repatriate the person who died to the UK, you may require their passport to do this. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.

Child deaths

There are no specific procedures for the death of a child and, in case an investigation is required, they are investigated similarly to deaths of adults. Social services will only be involved in specific circumstances. No specific authorisation is required to bury, cremate or repatriate a child’s body. The procedures for neonatal and stillbirths are the same as those for adults.

Deaths in road traffic accidents

There are no specific local procedures for deaths in road traffic accidents. They are dealt with as natural deaths.

Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter

If the local police have confirmed that they are investigating the death as a murder or manslaughter a dedicated team within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will be available to provide support, including by referring you to a specialised organisations. You can find more about what they can do online.

You should note that if the deceased is repatriated to parts of the UK a coroner or procurator fiscal may decide to hold an inquest. See the section on UK Coroners and inquests below.

In the event of a death in Mali, the Coroner will consider the evidence. If the circumstances of the death were natural/, a report of the Examining Officer’s findings will be issued, registration of the death will be permitted and the body will be released for repatriation or burial.

However, if the Coroner’s office is not satisfied after the preliminary examination, further investigations and interviews with witnesses may also be called for before a decision is made as to the cause of death. If death was caused by a criminal act, the police will be ordered to conduct a full investigation. The State Prosecutor will then decide whether to prosecute. This can delay the release of the remains for burial.

The local authorities will not be forthcoming with their updates and will not proactively reach out to inform the family. The next of kin will have to reach out to the person in charge of the investigation if they want updates. If a suspect has been detained but then let go, they can be investigated again on request of the next of kin’s lawyer.

The local murder rate is very low (approximately 10/100,000). It may take several months for a case to conclude once it reaches the judicial stage. Once the investigation has concluded the case will be passed to a Public Prosecutor. There are specific procedures for deaths from terrorism.

UK coroners and inquests

If you repatriate the person who died to England and Wales there may be an inquest. The decision on when to hold an inquest is made by His Majesty’s Coroner. Please note, an inquest will usually only happens in certain situations, for example, when someone has died in suspicious, unnatural, and violent circumstances or whilst in detention. If the person who died is cremated and only their ashes are brought home, there will not be an inquest.

If you repatriate the person who died to Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal may decide to call for a Fatal Accidents or Injuries Inquiry.

If you repatriate the person who died to Northern Ireland, there will be no coronial inquest or further inquiry.

Please note, Procurators Fiscal and Coroners do not have jurisdiction in another country, nor do they seek to apportion blame to a named individual.

You can find more information on Coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Guide on Death Abroad.

Legal Aid

There is no legal aid scheme available in Mali, however some English speaking lawyers might offer pro-bono services.

Compensation

There is no government compensation scheme available in Mali. You can find information on UK compensation for victims of terrorism overseas online

Translation and Interpretation

The official language is French. English is not widely spoken. The local authorities will not provide translation or interpretation in English. You will need to contact a translator/ interpreter.

Local support organisations

There are no registered charities or organisations in Mali that can provide information, support or advice to bereaved families (except for the victims of conflict).

Support organisations in the UK

In the UK, there are many organisations that can help bereaved families. Some of these are listed in the Guide on Death Abroad

Annex: List of local funeral directors

List of funeral directors in Mali