Malian political parties and civil society groups have come together to collectively reject the ruling junta’s directive to halt political activities, declaring their intent to challenge the move legally.
Since a coup in 2020, the West African nation has been under military rule, and tensions have escalated in recent weeks.
Major parties and organizations unitedly criticized the junta on March 31 for failing to schedule elections within the promised timeframe. In response, the authorities issued a decree on Wednesday, suspending all political party and group activities until further notice, citing the need to maintain public order.
However, the joint coalition of parties and civil society groups expressed astonishment at the decision, condemning it as a “serious violation of democratic freedoms.”
Signatories to the coalition’s declaration announced their rejection of the decree and their intention to challenge it in court, while also refusing to engage in any government activities, including ongoing national dialogues.
They vowed to resist and ultimately prevail against the decree’s enforcement. In a further move on Thursday, the authorities reinforced the decree by ordering television, print, and other media outlets in Mali to cease broadcasting or publishing reports on political party activities.
Reacting to these developments, Boubacar Toure, vice-president of the Rally for Mali (RPM) party, described the decree as surprising and shocking to all republicans.
While some suggested seeking a ruling from the Constitutional Court, others called for more direct action. Senior opposition politician Housseini Guindo urged the people to resist through civil disobedience until the fall of the “illegal and illegitimate regime.”
Mali’s current junta took power in a second coup in 2021 and later pledged to restore civilian rule by March 2024, following elections in February of that year.
However, last September, the authorities announced the indefinite postponement of the February elections due to technical reasons, raising concerns about democratic setbacks in the region.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed deep concern about the suspension of political activities and called on Mali’s transition government to uphold its commitments to its citizens and conduct free and fair elections.
