Keypoints:
- Parties challenge Mali junta’s dissolution decree
- Appeals filed in Bamako courts and Supreme Court
- Junta faces growing criticism over rights crackdown
MALI’S political parties have launched a legal battle against the country’s military-led government after it dissolved all political organisations earlier this month, effectively banning them from operating. The move has sparked condemnation from across civil society, with critics accusing the junta of dismantling democratic freedoms.
In a joint statement sent to AFP on Wednesday evening, the affected parties confirmed they had filed legal appeals in six high courts across the Bamako district, as well as with the administrative section of the Supreme Court. The filings aim to challenge both the legality and the consequences of the presidential decree that enacted the ban.
Crackdown seen as attack on basic rights
The parties argue that the measure represents a grave violation of fundamental rights enshrined in Mali’s constitution, including freedom of association, freedom of assembly, and the right to participate in public life. Multiparty democracy, reaffirmed by the junta itself in 2023, is guaranteed under the 1992 constitution.
To date, Mali has recognised around 300 political groups. The junta, led by General Assimi Goita, claims the dissolution is aimed at streamlining what it sees as an overcrowded political landscape.
However, critics view it as part of a broader pattern of repression since the military seized power in coups staged in 2020 and 2021.
New term for Goita fuels alarm
The political clampdown follows a national consultation held in April, which not only endorsed the ban on parties but also recommended that Goita be appointed president for a renewable five-year term. This defies the junta’s earlier commitment to return power to civilian rule by March 2024.
The consultation also proposed tightening rules for the creation of new political parties — measures opposition groups say are designed to eliminate dissent and entrench military rule.
Intellectuals call for new elections and prisoner release
This week, a group of Malian intellectuals — including writers, lawyers, and economists — published an open letter denouncing what they called the regime’s ongoing violation of fundamental rights. They urged the junta to collaborate with civil society on a new electoral timetable, calling for swift presidential and legislative elections.
The signatories also demanded the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience.
Security backdrop adds to complexity
Mali remains mired in violence, with insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and local criminal groups destabilising vast regions of the country since 2012. The ongoing insecurity has often been cited by the junta as justification for delaying a democratic transition.
But critics say that the sweeping suspension of political activity only deepens the crisis, further isolating the military regime at home and abroad.
