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Scoop
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN's Türk Criticises ‘Draconian' Decree Limiting Dissent In Mali
16 May 2025 Volker Türk on Friday called the decree 'draconian' and urged Mali's Transitional President, General Assimi Goïta, to reverse the decree issued earlier this week. Signed on 13 May, the decree dissolves all political parties and 'organizations of a political nature' nationwide. It was preceded by the repeal of legislation that had safeguarded political participation. ' Any restrictions of political participation must be consistent with Mali's international human rights law obligations,' High Commissioner for Human Rights Türk said. He urged the transitional authorities to release those who have been arrested on politically motivated grounds and to fully restore political rights in the country. Erosion of civic space The clampdown comes amid a broader erosion of civic space in Mali since the military seized power in successive coups in 2020 and 2021. According to media reports, the government's move was read out on state television on Tuesday and cited the need to curb the 'proliferation' of political parties. At least three opposition members were reportedly arrested following protests against the decree, with their whereabouts currently unknown – part of what Mr. Türk described as a troubling pattern of enforced disappearances dating back to at least 2021. A group of UN independent rights experts also condemned the developments in a separate statement last week, warning that the decree and accompanying legislation represent 'a direct violation of basic human rights.' Elections in question The experts – who are independent of the UN and serve in their personal capacity – criticised the transitional authorities for using the 2021 national consultations, the Assises Nationales de la Refondation and April 2025 consultation on review of the Charter of Political Parties, as justification for authoritarian measures. Several political parties boycotted those consultations, citing fears they were being used as a pretext to dismantle political opposition. Among the recommendations emerging from those meetings, the Council of Ministers reportedly discussed naming Gen. Goïta as president for a renewable five-year term – without holding elections. The UN has urged the transitional authorities to refrain from extending the transition period again and to publish an electoral timetable without delay. High Commissioner Türk recalled Gen. Goïta's instructions to the Cabinet of Ministers in November 2024 to create conditions for 'transparent and peaceful elections,' a promise that now appears increasingly hollow. Spiralling security situation Beyond political repression, Mali is grappling with worsening security conditions following the closure of the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSMA, at the end of 2023. According to credible information received by the UN rights office, OHCHR, violations and abuses increased by nearly 120 per cent between 2023 and 2024. The withdrawal of French forces and the European Union Training Mission in Mali in 2022 also contributed to the deteriorating security situation across the West African landlocked country. Civilians across the country continue to face deadly attacks – including killings, abduction, and sexual and gender-based violence – by extremist groups including Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State - Sahel Province. Government forces, allegedly accompanied by foreign military personnel widely referred to either as 'Africa Corps' or 'Wagner,' have also been accused of serious abuses. Last month, dozens of civilians were reportedly killed in the southwestern Kayes region after being detained by Malian forces and foreign partners. Bring perpetrators to justice Mr. Türk underscored the need to ensure accountability for rights violations and abuses. The multiple investigations announced by the Malian authorities into these killings must be prompt, impartial and meet international standards, he said, 'with a view to ensuring victims' rights to truth, justice and reparations.'
Daily Maverick
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Mali's transition at risk as political class fights back against dissolution of parties
Political party bans by military authorities in Burkina Faso and Niger have met little resistance, but in Mali they ignited defiance. On 13 May 2025, Mali's military transitional authority decreed the dissolution of political parties. Although most of the country's nearly 300 parties were not functional, this is a major setback for Mali's prospects of remaining a multiparty democracy. It is also a notable turning point in the transition that started five years ago, when a double military coup led by Mali's current leader Assimi Goïta toppled the government. By closing down the democratic space, the military authorities risk worsening insecurity in the country, which already faces persistent jihadism and a recurrent rebellion in the north. However, the country's political parties are fighting back. Whether this will make a difference in a region dominated by juntas remains to be seen. The decision follows April's national 'consultations' aimed at revising the Charter of Political Parties – a process that most of the political class boycotted. The consultations recommended not only that political parties be dissolved, but a revision of the country's Transition Charter to give Goïta the presidency for a renewable five-year term beginning in 2025. That last recommendation was not among the subjects officially addressed during the consultations. However, participants emphasised the need for Mali to align its governance framework with Niger and Burkina Faso, its allies in the Alliance of Sahel States Confederation. All three central Sahel countries are governed by military regimes, and have strengthened ties since their January withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States. Niger's General Abdourahamane Tchiani was sworn in as president for a renewable five-year term on 26 March, in line with recommendations made during national meetings in February. The Nigerien authorities also closed down political parties, acting on the outcomes of these meetings. Similarly, in Burkina Faso, consultations led to Captain Ibrahim Traoré being declared president of the country for a five-year term. Political party activities were suspended soon after the September 2022 coup, a decision that remains in effect. In an international environment where the multilateralism system is in crisis and the levers for democratic pressure are weakened, the banning of political parties has met little resistance in Burkina Faso and Niger. In Mali however, the political class is standing up to the authorities. When Mali's authorities adopted a bill on 30 April repealing laws governing political parties and the opposition, political parties held street protests against the bill. Then on 3 and 4 May, they rallied hundreds of supporters in the capital Bamako, demanding a return to constitutional order by 31 December. The gatherings were disrupted by groups claiming to support the government, and by police who cited the risk of clashes breaking out. Political parties again called for protests on 9 May, but on 7 May the authorities suspended all their activities and those of associations 'until further notice' – and so the planned demonstrations were postponed. This public defiance is the first of its kind since Mali's military authorities took hold in August 2020. While it may not significantly shift the balance of power away from the current leadership, the political class is clearly positioning itself as a force that cannot be ignored in shaping the transition. The protests aimed to defend the existence of political parties. But perhaps more profoundly, they showed a determination to protect the democratic gains secured through bloodshed in the 1991 March Revolution that ended 23 years of dictatorship under Moussa Traoré. Stirring this potent symbol in Mali's collective political consciousness could unite the elders who fought against Traoré's dictatorship with young people who grew up under democracy. That could mobilise an opposition movement extending beyond the political class, fuelling public protests and heightening concerns over Mali's democratic transition. This is all the more likely given that after five years of governance, the population is divided on the performance of the military authorities – who have not resolved the country's many economic and social challenges. Since 2023, persistent power outages have further weakened industrial output and disrupted informal economic activities, which serve as the primary source of income for many families. Costly spending on military equipment and security needs also drains the country's economy. To deal with its financial troubles, government measures include widely unpopular new taxes on telephone calls and mobile money transfers. These challenges fuel public discontent and could revive popular interest in political parties. In such a context, repressive measures by the authorities could backfire, strengthening support for the very opposition parties they aim to neutralise. Political instability would further complicate the government's challenges. Rather than restricting the political space, it should consider dialogue with all political forces. This is in line with the government's intention, from the outset, to draw up a new legislative framework that better organises and regulates the political sector. Aligned with this objective, the authorities should involve all political actors in a dialogue process that drafts a new Charter of Political Parties and produces an electoral agenda for ending the transition. With Mali's membership of the African Union (AU) suspended following the coups, the AU's potential role in resolving the tensions is not straightforward. Nevertheless, diplomatic solutions must be found. For example, article 25, paragraph 3 of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance gives the AU a responsibility to help any nation transition towards restoring democracy. This enables the continental body to offer support to Malian authorities and the political class in facilitating dialogue or appointing a facilitator acceptable to all parties. The AU could leverage its Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions, a platform developed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme to promote inclusive dialogue among key players and provide technical and financial assistance. DM
Scoop
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Mali: UN Experts Say Mali Should Not Hinder Or Suspend The Activities Of Political Parties
GENEVA (8 May 2025) – The adoption of a bill repealing basic protections to political participation by the Council of Ministers on 30 April 2025 and the signature of a decree on 7 May 2025 suspending the activities of political parties until further notice are a direct violation of basic human rights, a group of independent human rights experts* warned today. 'This decree suspending political activities must be immediately repealed. In addition, if passed into law, the 30 April bill will place Mali in contravention of its human rights obligations, notably on freedoms of association and expression,' the experts stressed. The Government of Mali has argued that the repeal of existing laws did not call into question the existence of political parties and that the Government only sought to "stop the proliferation of political parties" in the country. However, the experts pointed out that the proliferation of parties is easier to reduce with legitimate electoral rules, including those that make registration conditional to previous electoral performance. 'Instead, the recently adopted bill will make the registration of a party and candidacies conditional to onerous financial deposits, restricting the right to political participation to sectors with high economic capacity,' they warned. 'The government argues that these are direct proposals from national dialogues: the 2021 'Assises Nationales de la Refondation' and consultations on the review of the Charter of Political Parties held in April 2025. However, no genuine consultation is possible in the current climate of suppression of the civic space, where opponents and independent journalists have reasons to fear that free expression will be punished,' the experts said. Several political parties boycotted the April 2025 consultations because they were reasonably concerned, as the current events demonstrate that the Malian Transitional authorities were using the process as a tool to eventually dissolve political parties or ban their activities. Mali's Council of Ministers also noted other recommendations from the April 2025 consultations, including naming the current head of state, Gen. Assimi Goita as president, without elections, for a renewable period of five years to be counted from 2025. The bill, as well as the favourable reception of such alarming proposals by the Council of Ministers, would betray national and international commitments made by the Malian authorities, the experts said. They recalled that Gen. Assimi Goïta himself, at the Council of Ministers meeting on 27 November 2024, called on the Government to 'create the conditions necessary for the organisation of transparent and peaceful elections which should put an end to the transition.' Mali had also accepted specific recommendations to protect freedoms of association and expression during the Universal Periodic Review of 2023: the current actions would call into question the credibility of Malian authorities. The bill will now be presented to the National Transitional Council, presided by Gen. Malick Diaw, for approval. 'We urge the National Transitional Council to refrain from approving this draft legislation,' the experts said. 'We stand ready to assist the Government to revise the Amendment Bill to ensure compliance with international human rights norms and standards,' they added. Following the adoption of the bill, political parties have called on protests and public activities on 3 and 4 May. However, they have alleged that individuals claiming to support the transitional authorities violently disrupted their gatherings. Further, the political parties have called on new public gatherings on 9 May. 'The right to peacefully assembly is essential to the health of a vibrant political community,' the experts said. 'The Malian Transitional authorities must scrupulously respect it and abstain from acts of intimidation and repression that risk the physical integrity and the rights of demonstrators.'
