POLITICAL parties in Mali are staging a rare united front against the ruling military junta, accusing it of plotting to dismantle the country’s multiparty democracy. The growing backlash follows the junta’s latest move to repeal the charter governing political parties, a decision that legal analysts see as a prelude to banning them altogether.
Charter repealed amid fears of dissolution
The announcement, made Wednesday evening, comes on the heels of a controversial national consultation in Bamako, where regime-aligned delegates called for the dissolution of political parties and stricter rules governing their formation. The majority of political organisations boycotted the talks, calling them a thinly veiled attempt to legitimise authoritarianism.
In response, nearly 100 political parties have formed a coalition to confront what they believe is the junta’s attempt to erase them from Mali’s political life. Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, coalition leaders warned that democratic freedoms were under direct assault.
Parties push back under police watch
‘We are going to fight,’ said Ismael Boro, president of the Rally for Mali (Rama) party. ‘Political parties and associations will ensure that a protest front is formed,’ he told AFP.
The gathering took place under a heavy police presence, with organisers calling for mass mobilisation to protect the democratic gains secured since the end of military rule in 1992. Multiparty democracy and basic civil liberties have been cornerstones of Mali’s post-authoritarian era—but are now being threatened, opposition leaders say.
From coups to control: Democracy in retreat
Since seizing power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, the military government has steadily restricted civic space. Political activities have been curtailed, opposition figures threatened or arrested, and parties either sidelined or dissolved. The junta has justified its actions by citing the urgent need to unify against jihadist threats plaguing much of the country.
But the latest proposals, including a recommendation that junta leader General Assimi Goïta be made transitional president for a renewable five-year term without an election, have alarmed observers and political actors alike.
‘The mask is slipping. It’s clear that the military intends to stay in power. Democracy is a bitter pill for them,’ exiled opposition figure Oumar Mariko told AFP.
Critics say constitution is being subverted
The junta adopted a new constitution in 2023 that ostensibly preserved democratic principles. But critics say the regime is now openly subverting it to entrench military dominance.
‘The spirit of this constitution is now called into question by consultations which are effectively controlled and guided by the current authorities,’ said Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank Wathi. He added that Mali had ‘entered a new phase of consolidation of military power’, similar to developments in neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.
Regional parallels and rising repression
The three Sahelian states—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—are now grouped under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), having each experienced military coups between 2020 and 2023. All three regimes face accusations of using counterterrorism as a pretext to suppress dissent and dismantle democratic institutions.
Human rights organisations have raised alarm over increasing curbs on the media, civil society, and political opposition across the region.
Legal challenge looms—but faith in court wanes
Despite the climate of fear, Malian political parties are attempting to push back, warning that silence may lead to their complete erasure. ‘In Mali, we have fought to obtain democracy and we are not going to sit idly by,’ said Mariko.
The coalition of parties says it will appeal to the Constitutional Court if the junta moves forward with the dissolution plan. But confidence in the judiciary’s independence remains low.
‘If by chance the Constitutional Court doesn’t want to know, then we will have no choice but to demand the dissolution of the court itself,’ said Boukary Dicko of the Yelema party. ‘If the authorities want to be in total violation of the constitution, we have the right not to recognise the current government and to demand the departure of the transitional president.’
A struggle for survival in shrinking space
While their political space continues to shrink, Mali’s political actors insist they will not be silenced. Their defiance signals the beginning of a broader confrontation in a region where democratic backsliding has accelerated.
