Mali coup leader win backing to be president for di next five years

BBC News

30-04-2025

Mali military leader Gen Assimi Goïta don win di backing of key political allies to dey declared president for di next five years.
Di 41-year-old, wey don seize power twice, dem name am transitional president afta im last coup in 2021.
At di time e bin promise to hold elections di following year - but since no do am, in blow of efforts to bring back multi-party rule in di West African state.
One national conference wey di regime bin organise - but dey boycotted by leading opposition parties - now don recommend to name Gen Goïta president until 2030.
E neva comment yet on di recommendation, but dem see di conference as attempt to legitimise im bid to remain in power.
Over di weekend, one opposition leader, Mohamed Salia Touré, bin tell AFP news agency say to suppress di multi-party system go be one "historic error".
On Wednesday, Amnesty International tok say dem denounce wetin dem describe as a "proposal to dissolve all political parties in Mali".
Di rights group Sahel researcher, Ousmane Diallo, tok say e dey "alarmed by di proposition" and say dat kind move "go be flagrant attack on di rights to freedom of expression and association".
E no clear if di conference propose to dissolve all political parties, or only those wey no gree follow wit certain requirements.
Di conference bin also recommend to suspend anytin wey need to do wit elections until peace dey di kontri, according to one document wey tori pipo AFP see.
Di military govment don dey try quell jihadist violence wey groups wey link wit di Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda unleash.
Since e take power, di junta leader don form alliance wit coup leaders in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, move di region towards Russia afta dem sharparly reduce ties wit former colonial power France.
Gen Goïta don also withdraw Mali from di regional grouping Ecowas over im demands to restore democratic rule. Burkina Faso and Niger don also commot di grouping.
E bin first stage one coup in August 2020 overthrow di den-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta afta one big anti-govment protests over im rule and im handling of di jihadist insurgency.
Gen Goïta bin hand power to one interim govment wey need to oversee di transition to elections within 18 months.
E bin try to lead dat govment, but Ecowas bin insist on civilian leader.
As e no happy wit di performance of di civilian transitional arrangement, e den seize power again in May 2021.
E be colonel dat time, but become five-star general last year.