Mali’s military ruler, General Assimi Goita, has formalised his grip on power by approving a new law that grants him an open-ended presidential mandate without requiring an election.
The legislation, which surfaced publicly on Thursday after being signed earlier in the week, permits Goita to extend his rule for five years – with no limit on renewals – effectively allowing him to remain in office beyond 2030.
This move, anticipated for days after Mali’s military-appointed parliament endorsed the bill last week, marks a stark reversal from the junta’s earlier commitment to hand power back to civilians by March 2024.
Goita’s government, which seized power in a 2021 coup, has steadily tightened political freedoms while seeking to entrench its authority over the conflict-ridden Sahel nation.
Cabinet ministers had initially adopted the controversial measure last month before it proceeded to the legislature and ultimately secured the junta leader’s signature.
Under the law Goita will be able to serve “as head of state for a term of five (05) years, renewable as many times as necessary, until the country is pacified”.
When Goita took power, he insisted on Mali’s commitment to the fight against jihadist violence and initially pledged a return to civilian rule.
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Once hailed by some as a potential saviour for Mali, General Assimi Goita’s reputation has dimmed as he abandons his commitment to democratic transition.
Goita had vowed to restore civilian rule by March 2024, but that pledge has now been replaced by sweeping measures to consolidate his grip on power.
Earlier this year, a national consultation organised under the junta’s watch – and largely shunned by opposition parties – proposed installing Goita as president without an election, granting him a five-year renewable term.
The same gathering also advocated dissolving existing political parties and tightening regulations for forming new ones.
In line with those recommendations, Mali’s military authorities announced in May that all political parties and associations were to be dissolved, accompanied by a ban on public gatherings.
These moves to shrink the civic space have coincided with a renewed push by the junta to rally the population behind its vision of military-led national unity.