Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
The military government in Mali has dissolved all political parties, effectively outlawing opposition.
Some shit you should know before you read: Back in August 2020, Mali’s military seized power in a coup led by Colonel Assimi Goïta, following mass protests against then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta over alleged corruption and failure to curb terror in the country. Goïta staged a second coup in May 2021, removing the transitional civilian leadership and declaring himself interim president. Since then, he has ruled the country through a military-led transitional government, promising elections that have repeatedly been postponed. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have accused Goïta’s regime of systematic abuses, including arbitrary arrests, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. The Malian government also has ties to Russia’s Wagner Group, a private military contractor accused of supporting the junta’s counterinsurgency operations while committing severe human rights violations.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, the military government of Mali dissolved all political parties and suspended political activities nationwide, marking one of the most sweeping crackdowns on political pluralism in the country’s history. The decision was announced on May 14, 2025, via a presidential decree read on state television by Mamani Nassiré, the minister in charge of political reform. The junta justified the move as part of a broader “reform process,” arguing that the political landscape had become fragmented and dysfunctional, and that new laws were needed to restructure political life in the country. Officials claimed the goal was to reduce the number of parties, curb the formation of new ones, and potentially eliminate public funding for them.
The government maintained that appointed officials could remain in their positions, but were barred from engaging in any activity on behalf of dissolved parties.
In a statement, Mali’s former prime minister, Moussa Mara, said, “This decision deals a severe blow to the reconciliation process that began last year.”
The announcement came on the heels of rare but significant public demonstrations in early May. On May 3 and 4, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Bamako in response to growing fears of permanent military rule. A larger protest was planned for May 9, but it was shut down when the government suspended all political activity, effectively outlawing public dissent. In the days following the protests, multiple opposition leaders were abducted by masked gunmen.
