Wafric News – May 13, 2025

Bamako, Mali — Mali’s transitional military government has officially dissolved all political parties, deepening concerns over democratic backsliding and escalating repression of dissent.

The move comes after days of unrest and mounting criticism from human rights organisations over the reported abductions of opposition figures. In a televised address on Tuesday, the junta confirmed the suspension of all political organisations, a decision ratified by Colonel Assimi Goita, who has ruled Mali since staging two military coups in 2020 and 2021.

The crackdown follows protests earlier this month in the capital and other cities, where demonstrators took to the streets demanding a return to civilian rule. On May 3 and 4, protesters waved banners declaring “Down with dictatorship, long live democracy,” in a rare show of public defiance against the ruling authorities.

Tensions escalated after an April national dialogue — widely boycotted by opposition groups — proposed extending Goita’s mandate until 2030. The suggestion sparked outrage among civil society actors and international rights groups, who view the extension as a clear attempt to entrench military rule.

In anticipation of a fresh round of protests planned for May 10, the government issued a sweeping decree banning all political activity nationwide — a move critics say is aimed at silencing dissent and consolidating power.

Since then, reports have surfaced of prominent opposition leaders being forcibly disappeared. Human Rights Watch reported that Abba Alhassane, secretary-general of the Convergence for the Development of Mali (CODEM), was abducted by masked gunmen. On the same day, El Bachir Thiam, leader of the Yelema party, was allegedly seized by unidentified men in the garrison town of Kati.

Further concerns were raised when CODEM revealed it had lost contact with Abdoul Karim Traore, a prominent youth leader. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Malian authorities have yet to issue any statements regarding these alleged arrests.

Colonel Goita first assumed power in August 2020 amid public anger over insecurity and the previous government's failure to address violence perpetrated by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

The 2020 protests, which culminated in the ouster of then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, were marked by deadly clashes with security forces, leaving at least 14 people dead.

In recent years, the junta has faced renewed scrutiny over its alliance with Russia’s Wagner Group. In December, Human Rights Watch accused Malian forces and Wagner mercenaries of killing at least 32 civilians and torching over 100 homes during operations in central and northern Mali.

As Mali drifts further from its democratic commitments, pressure is mounting both domestically and internationally for the junta to restore constitutional order and protect the civil liberties of its citizens.


By WafricNews Desk.