Mali’s military ruler, General Assimi Goita, has signed a new law that allows him to stay in power for at least five more years, without an election, and possibly rule for as long as he wants.
The law, made public on Thursday, says Goita will serve “as head of state for a term of five years, renewable as many times as necessary, until the country is pacified.”
Goita approved the law on Tuesday, just days after Mali’s military-controlled parliament passed the bill. The country’s cabinet had already adopted it last month. This move comes more than a year after Goita promised to hand over power to a civilian government by March 2024.
Instead, Goita now has the legal power to remain in charge of the West African country until at least 2030—possibly longer.
Goita first took power after a military coup in 2020. At the time, he promised to return Mali to democratic rule.
“We are committed to the fight against terrorism and to giving power back to the people,” he had said shortly after taking office.
But that promise has now been broken.
Earlier this year, a junta-led national consultation, boycotted by most political groups, recommended that Goita be made president for five years without a vote. It also called for the shutdown of political parties and stricter rules for forming new ones.
In May, the military government dissolved all political parties and banned public meetings.
Critics say the junta is tightening its grip on power.
“This is a clear move away from democracy. There is no election, no opposition, and no freedom of assembly,” a civil society leader told local media.
Goita still enjoys some popularity among Malians who see him as a strong leader standing up to foreign powers. He ended close ties with France and other Western nations and has moved Mali closer to Russia.
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Mali, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, also ruled by juntas, has formed a new group called the Alliance of Sahel States. The three countries have announced plans to create a 5,000-soldier joint force to fight jihadists.
However, human rights groups have accused Russian mercenaries, working with Mali’s army, of committing abuses against civilians.
Since 2012, Mali has faced deadly attacks from armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. Violence in many parts of the country has only increased in recent weeks.
Despite the crisis, Goita’s rule continues, with no election in sight.