Mali's fragile democracy faces autocratic shift under Assimi Goita

Tuesday 10 June 2025 - 14:15

By: Dakir Madiha

Mali's fragile democracy faces autocratic shift under Assimi Goita

Malian democracy is under increasing threat as President Assimi Goita consolidates power, banning political parties and targeting opposition leaders. These developments have sparked widespread protests in Bamako, raising concerns about the nation's democratic future.

Consolidation of power

On May 13, Malian military leader General Assimi Goita announced a sweeping ban on political parties and organizations, marking a significant step toward autocracy. This political shift comes as Mali grapples with a range of challenges, including economic instability, armed militias, and terrorist activity. Al Qaeda-linked groups have been devastating rural regions, killing civilians and destroying villages far from the capital, Bamako.

Goita rose to power after leading two coups in 2020 and 2021, initially positioning himself as a stabilizing figure who promised to restore democratic elections. However, since assuming leadership, he has systematically dismantled democratic institutions. In 2022, he removed civilian leaders, delayed elections indefinitely, and expelled United Nations peacekeepers in favor of Wagner Group paramilitaries. He also withdrew Mali from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and joined the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States.

The transition toward authoritarianism accelerated on April 10, 2024, when Mali’s National Transition Council extended Goita’s presidency until 2030. The council also suspended all political activities indefinitely, effectively silencing opposition voices.

Crackdown on dissent

Public protests erupted in Bamako on May 3-4 following the council’s controversial decision. Demonstrators carried banners reading, “Down with dictatorship, long live democracy.” The regime responded by formalizing the ban on political parties, a move announced by Mamani Nassire, the minister of political reform, on state television. The ban not only dismantled political organizations but also imposed severe restrictions on their operations, with violators facing legal consequences.

Reports of opposition leaders being abducted have heightened fears of a return to the oppressive era of President Moussa Traore, whose dictatorship ended with the establishment of democracy in 1991. Human Rights Watch has raised alarm over the disappearance of key opposition figures, including Abba Alhassane of the CODEM party and El Bachir Thiam of the Yelema party. Witnesses describe masked gunmen, allegedly gendarmes, forcibly seizing these leaders, sparking accusations of state-sponsored abductions.

A democracy in peril

Critics argue that these actions mark the death of Mali’s fragile democracy, turning the country into a de facto dictatorship. Many draw parallels to the Traore regime, warning that the progress achieved since the 1991 coup is being systematically reversed.

As Mali faces mounting domestic and international challenges, the authoritarian grip of Assimi Goita threatens not only democratic governance but also the nation's ability to address its pressing economic, security, and social issues. The protests in Bamako reflect the growing discontent among citizens who fear the erosion of their rights and freedoms under an increasingly autocratic regime.