Mali’s transitional legislature has approved a bill allowing interim President Gen. Assimi Goita to seek a renewable five-year term starting in 2025.
The National Transition Council (CNT) passed the measure unanimously on Thursday, with all 131 members voting during a session led by Council President Lt. Gen. Malick Diaw.
The bill follows the Council of Ministers’ endorsement in June and echoes proposals from a 2021 national dialogue urging reforms before elections.
Mali’s transitional roadmap, originally set for 24 months in June 2022, included presidential elections scheduled for February 2024—later delayed for technical reasons.
The latest reform builds on a new Constitution adopted in a national referendum in June 2023, consolidating Goita’s grip on power.
Mali, alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, solidified their alliance through the Confederation of Sahel States, launched on July 6, 2024.
The union stems from the Liptako-Gourma Charter signed in 2023, which established the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), uniting three military-led governments facing shared threats.
In a dramatic shift, the confederation has withdrawn from key regional and international bodies, including ECOWAS and the Francophonie bloc.
The Sahel trio now seeks to forge a new geopolitical identity, asserting sovereignty in the face of rising insurgencies and international pressure.
As Mali rewrites its political future, critics warn the path to lasting stability may lie beyond military rule and regional isolation.
