Mali’s ruling military junta has issued a decree suspending all political activity until further notice, citing the need to maintain public order, a move that follows last year’s decision to indefinitely cancel elections.
Junta spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga read the statement on state television late Wednesday as the country celebrated Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and where devout Muslims march from dawn to Fasting is required at dusk.
Since 2020, Mali has experienced two coups amid a wave of political instability sweeping West and Central Africa. The country has been battling a worsening insurgency by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group for more than a decade.
Colonel Assimi Goita, who came to power after a second coup in 2021, promised to return the country to democracy in early 2024. But in September, the junta indefinitely canceled elections scheduled for February 2024, citing the need for further technical preparations.
Analysts said the move was likely a backlash against politicians, civil society and students who have expressed frustration with the junta’s repeated delays in the country’s transition to democratic rule.
“In recent weeks, there has been increasing pressure from political parties and figures,” Rida Lyammouri of the Center for a New Southern Policy, a Moroccan think tank, told The Associated Press. “For the first time, the public and politicians have publicly criticized the military. Government leaders, accusing them of a lack of seriousness.”
Mali had previously relied on French troops to help push back the rebels. Growing frustrated with the lack of progress, the ruling junta ordered French troops to withdraw and turned to Russian contractors for security support. The last French troops left Mali in August 2022 after nearly a decade of fighting.
