Mali’s military leader, Assimi Goita, has formally approved the dissolution of all political parties in the country, according to a statement read on state television Tuesday. The decision follows recommendations from a recent national dialogue that also proposed extending Goita’s rule by five more years, raising fears of deepening authoritarianism in the West African nation.
The move comes after protests in the capital, Bamako, on May 3 and 4, where demonstrators rallied against military rule, chanting pro-democracy slogans and denouncing dictatorship. In response, the junta suspended all political activities nationwide ahead of a planned May 9 protest, forcing opposition groups to cancel the demonstration.
Human rights organizations have raised alarm over reports of opposition figures disappearing in recent days. Human Rights Watch said Abba Alhassane, Secretary-General of CODEM, was abducted by masked men claiming to be gendarmes, while El Bachir Thiam, leader of the Yelema party, was seized by unidentified individuals in the town of Kati.
Goita, who first seized power in a 2020 coup, initially promised to hold elections by February 2022, a pledge that remains unfulfilled. With political repression intensifying, critics warn that Mali is veering further away from democratic governance under the guise of security and stability.
