Mali’s military government has announced the dissolution of all political parties in the West African nation.
The decree, signed by military government president Assimi Goita, was read on television on Tuesday by the minister of political reforms, Mamani Nassire.
“Political parties and organizations of a political nature are dissolved throughout the national territory,” Mr. Nassire stated. He further added, reading from the decree, “It is forbidden for members of dissolved political parties and political organizations to hold any meetings.”
This announcement follows a growing number of reports of pro-democracy activists being abducted from the streets of the capital, Bamako, and comes days after a pro-democracy protest was held in the city.
Mali has been under military rule since two coups in 2020 and 2021, both led by Mr. Goita. While the junta leader has stated that elections will eventually be held, the promised ballot of February 2022 was postponed due to “technical reasons,” and no revised timeline has been provided. In April, ministers within the transitional government suggested extending Mr. Goita’s presidency until 2030. On Monday, Mali’s National Transition Council, the interim legislative body, voted in favour of dissolving political parties.
Former Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara described the decision on his X account as “a severe blow to the reconciliation process that began last year.”
Bamako has witnessed a series of protests in recent weeks, with hundreds taking to the streets on May 3rd and 4th, demanding multi-party elections. A further protest planned for May 9th led the military government to suspend all political activities in the country.
Concerns are mounting following the disappearance of several pro-democracy activists. Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated last week that two opposition leaders had gone missing, suggesting they may have been “forcibly disappeared.” The watchdog reported that one leader was taken by “masked gunmen claiming to be gendarmes” on May 8th, and another was abducted on the same day by “unidentified men” outside Bamako. Both individuals had participated in the protests on May 3rd.
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