Mali to dissolve all political parties, hand Military leader Asimi Goita Five years as president

Mali’s military ruler, General Assimi Goïta, has taken a significant step toward cementing his grip on power after a national conference—convened by his regime and boycotted by major opposition parties—recommended he remain president until 2030. If implemented, the move would extend military rule in Mali well beyond the initial transition timeline promised following Goïta’s second coup in 2021.

The 41-year-old officer, who has now seized power twice, was appointed transitional president after toppling a civilian-led interim government. At the time, Goïta pledged to organize elections within 18 months. That promise remains unfulfilled, and Mali has since retreated further from democratic governance, raising alarms both domestically and internationally.

A Push for Legitimacy or a Power Grab?

The recommendation by the national conference appears to be part of a broader campaign to legitimize Goïta’s continued rule. While Goïta has not officially responded, many observers see the conference as a rubber stamp rather than a genuine democratic consultation.

Key opposition figures and civil society groups refused to take part in the event, calling it a political façade. Mohamed Salia Touré, a prominent opposition leader, told AFP that efforts to undermine Mali’s multi-party system would be a “historic error.”

Rights organizations share that concern. Amnesty International this week denounced what it called a “proposal to dissolve all political parties” in Mali—a move that, if confirmed, would mark a severe blow to political pluralism in a country already reeling from conflict and repression.

“This proposition is alarming,” said Ousmane Diallo, a Sahel researcher at Amnesty. “It would be a flagrant attack on the rights to freedom of expression and association.”

Elections Deferred Indefinitely

Documents obtained by AFP suggest that the conference also recommended halting all electoral processes until “peace is restored” in the country. That benchmark remains vague and potentially open-ended, giving the military regime wide latitude to delay elections indefinitely.

Mali has struggled with a persistent jihadist insurgency, with militant groups linked to both Islamic State and al-Qaeda operating across large swaths of the country. While the security situation remains unstable, critics argue that it is being used as a justification to stall political progress and prolong authoritarian rule.

Since taking power, Goïta has forged alliances with the military regimes of Burkina Faso and Niger, both of which came to power through recent coups. The trio has broken ranks with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), withdrawing from the bloc after it demanded a return to civilian rule.

This regional realignment has been accompanied by a pivot toward Russia. Mali has deepened military and political cooperation with Moscow, further distancing itself from France, the former colonial power whose influence in the region has rapidly eroded.

The junta has also expelled key international missions, including the UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA, and partnered with Russian security contractors, including the controversial Wagner Group, to combat jihadist insurgents. Critics say this militarized approach has come at the cost of civilian protection and political accountability.

Goïta’s political ascent has been rapid and dramatic. A colonel at the time of his first coup in August 2020, he justified the overthrow of then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on grounds of mismanagement and failure to contain jihadist violence. After initially handing power to a civilian-led transitional government, Goïta seized control again in May 2021, dissatisfied with its performance.

Since then, he has tightened control, consolidated his position, and was promoted to a five-star general in 2023. Now, with the recommendation to serve as president until 2030, Goïta appears poised to transition from transitional leader to long-term ruler.

Whether Goïta officially accepts the recommendation or not, the direction of travel in Mali is clear: democratic space is shrinking, and military dominance is expanding. The risk is not only the erosion of civil liberties within Mali but the normalization of prolonged military rule in a region already experiencing democratic backsliding.

The next few months will be crucial. International pressure may intensify, but with regional allies and new strategic partnerships, Mali’s junta appears determined to stay the course.

For Mali’s opposition, civil society, and ordinary citizens, the path forward is uncertain. What is clear is that the vision of a swift return to democracy, once promised by Goïta himself, is now rapidly slipping out of reach.