14-05-2025
Mali's military government dissolves all political parties
Mali's military government announced on Tuesday that it has dissolved all political parties in the West African country.
Mamani Nassire, the minister of political reforms, read out the decree signed by military government president Assimi Goita on television.
'Political parties and organisations of a political nature are dissolved throughout the national territory,' Nassire said.
'It is forbidden for members of dissolved political parties and political organisations to hold any meetings,' he added, reading from the decree.
The announcement follows an increasing number of pro-democracy activists being kidnapped from the streets of the capital Bamako. It also comes days after a pro-democracy protest was held.
Why did Mali's junta ban political parties?
Mali has been under military rule since a pair of coups in 2020 and 2021 led by Goita. While the leader has assured the people that elections will be held, the promised ballot of February 2022 was delayed for 'technical reasons'.
No revised timeline for elections has been provided.
In April, ministers of the transitionary government recommended extending Goita's presidency until 2030.
On Monday, Mali's National Transition Council, the transitional legislative body, voted in favour of the dissolution of political parties.
'This decision deals a severe blow to the reconciliation process that began last year,' wrote Mali's former prime minister, Moussa Mara, on his X account.
Dissolution par Décret des partis politiques ce jour mardi 13 mai 2025 : tristesse profonde pour la démocratie multipartiste et tristesse encore plus profonde pour le Mali!
Dans le contexte actuel, les partis politiques sont davantage le thermomètre que la fièvre. En outre,…
— Moussa Mara (@MoussaMaraMali) May 13, 2025
Opposition leaders go missing after protests
Bamako has seen a wave of protests in recent weeks. Several hundred people took to the streets on 3 and 4 May, carrying placards and demanding a multi-party election.
A protest planned for 9 May led to the military government suspending all political activities in the country.
Several pro-democracy activists have since gone missing, sparking fears of a wider repression of dissent.
In a statement last week, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that two opposition leaders had gone missing, suggesting they may have been 'forcibly disappeared'.
The watchdog said one opposition leader was taken by 'masked gunmen claiming to be gendarmes' on 8 May and another was taken on the same day by 'unidentified men' outside Bamako.
Both leaders had been part of the protests on 3 May.
