Faith Nyasuguta
Mali’s military ruler, General Assimi Goita, has secured a fresh grip on power after signing into law a controversial bill that extends his rule for five more years -with the possibility of renewing his mandate indefinitely and without elections. The new law, which Goita approved this week, stems from recommendations of national dialogue talks held by the military regime in April, but these talks were boycotted by major political parties, casting doubt on their legitimacy.
Passed by Mali’s military-appointed transitional council last week, the bill effectively delays the return to civilian rule, which the junta had originally promised for March 2024. Instead, Malians now face the reality of military leadership lasting until at least 2030. Critics fear the extension will cement one-man rule in a country already battered by insecurity and repression.
Goita, a colonel-turned-general who first seized power through coups in 2020 and 2021, has steadily tightened his grip while Mali battles a brutal jihadist insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. In May, he signed a sweeping decree dissolving all political parties and associations- a move that coincided with a spike in abductions of pro-democracy activists in the capital, Bamako. Days earlier, hundreds of Malians had staged a rare protest demanding democratic freedoms and civilian governance.
Human rights observers warn that the new law adds to an alarming pattern of shrinking civic space in the Sahelian nation. Many see the junta’s actions – from outlawing political parties to detaining critics – as calculated measures to silence dissent and eliminate opposition ahead of any potential challenge to military rule.
Mali’s turmoil is part of a wider wave of military takeovers that has rattled West and Central Africa in recent years. Once considered a democratic stronghold in the region, Mali has become emblematic of deepening instability, governance failures and extremist violence spreading across the semi-arid Sahel.
While the regime insists the prolonged transition is necessary to restore order and reclaim territory from jihadists, opposition voices argue that Goita’s real aim is to entrench military dominance. With political opposition now outlawed and elections indefinitely postponed, many Malians fear democracy may remain elusive far beyond 2030.
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