Mali’s military government announced the dissolution of the country’s political parties on Tuesday through a presidential decree, marking another effort to suppress opposition following the junta’s takeover.
For weeks, opposition parties have been concerned about this action, uniting a coalition of a hundred parties to stage demonstrations in a rare show of defiance since the coups of 2020 and 2021 that brought military rule.
Shortly after junta leader General Assimi Goita sanctioned the suspension of a charter governing political parties, paving the way for their dissolution, officials declared the elimination of “political parties and political organisations.”
The decree, which was read on national television, also prohibits “any meetings of members affiliated with political parties or organisations of a political nature.”
However, according to the decree, officials associated with the Malian state’s political and administrative institutions “may continue their work without needing to identify as representatives of political parties. “
This recent oppressive measure follows recommendations from a national assembly convened in late April, which the opposition largely ignored.
In addition to the political parties’ charter suspension authorised by Goita on the same day, which facilitated the parties’ dissolution, the April assembly also suggested granting the junta leader a renewable five-year presidential term without the need for a vote.
Since the coups, numerous retaliatory actions, judicial proceedings, and the abolition of many associations have significantly undermined the Malian opposition.
Citing potential public order disturbances, the junta had previously suspended all political party activities on May 7, a ban that drew criticism from the opposition and calls for revocation from UN experts.
This restriction on civic space occurs amid authorities’ demands that the nation rally around the military, which had initially promised to return power to civilians by March 2024 but has since reneged on that commitment.
