Keypoints:
- Junta proposes renewable five-year term for Goita
- Cabinet move follows dissolution of political parties
- Insecurity grows amid autocratic power consolidation
MALI’S ruling military junta is poised to entrench its grip on power after the cabinet approved a draft law that could extend General Assimi Goita’s leadership for at least five more years — without an election.
According to a government statement released on Wednesday, the bill would grant the ‘head of state a renewable five-year mandate from 2025’. The proposal now heads to the National Transitional Council, a legislative body created by the junta following its back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.
The move raises deep concerns about Mali’s political trajectory, coming just weeks after Goita ordered the dissolution of all political parties — despite previous commitments to return the country to civilian rule.
Military tightens control after political purge
The proposed law aligns with recommendations made in April by a junta-organised national assembly. That assembly had urged the proclamation of Goita as president without a vote, and backed granting him a five-year renewable term that could keep him in power until 2030.
The same body also pushed for the complete elimination of political parties — a recommendation acted upon by presidential decree in May, further hollowing out Mali’s democratic space.
‘The head of state must remain in office to safeguard national stability,’ the cabinet stated, defending the move as necessary for continuity. Critics, however, see it as a calculated effort to sideline electoral legitimacy and consolidate authoritarian control.
Mounting insecurity adds urgency — and fear
The political clampdown comes as Mali faces renewed violence from extremist groups. Over the past ten days, several military installations have come under attack, highlighting the persistent threat from jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
Mali has been embroiled in conflict since 2012, with insurgents exploiting the country’s weak institutions and vast ungoverned spaces. The military-led government has framed its extended rule as essential to counterterrorism efforts and national cohesion.
But observers warn that narrowing civic freedoms and dismantling democratic structures may worsen insecurity rather than solve it.
International alarm over junta’s direction
The junta’s latest moves have sparked renewed concern from Mali’s neighbours and international partners. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) previously imposed sanctions over delays in the transition, which were lifted after the junta promised elections by early 2024 — a deadline now effectively voided.
Human rights groups and civil society organisations have condemned the military’s trajectory, warning it undermines the rule of law and risks entrenching a cycle of illegitimacy and instability.
As the proposed bill heads for parliamentary approval, critics say Mali stands at a crossroads — one that may shift it permanently away from democratic governance.
