COLONEL Assimi Goita, the head of Mali’s military junta, promoted himself to the rank of army general on Wednesday, in a move seen as consolidating his grip on power. Goita, who seized control in a coup in 2020, now holds the highest military rank in Mali, a distinction previously awarded to only two former heads of state.
The Malian government’s general secretariat announced the promotion via the Council of Ministers’ statement, which also revealed that five influential colonels within the junta have been ‘exceptionally’ elevated to four-star generals.
Goita’s promotion is widely interpreted as a signal that he intends to maintain military control over the landlocked West African nation, dashing hopes for a swift transition to civilian rule.
‘This latest move suggests that junta leaders have no intention of stepping aside for a democratic transition anytime soon,’ remarked Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Centre for the New South, based in Morocco.
Since the coup, Mali has faced growing international pressure to hold elections and restore civilian governance, but no date has yet been set for the country’s presidential election.
The promotion of junta leaders to higher military ranks further complicates efforts to establish a timeline for the transition and raises concerns over Mali’s future political stability.
