A coalition of nearly one hundred political parties accused Mali’s ruling junta of seeking their dissolution, speaking out Saturday in Bamako.
Such open defiance is rare in Mali, where the military leadership has methodically stifled dissent since seizing power in two coups, in 2020 and 2021.
Abdallah Yattara of the Yelema party voiced the coalition’s concern, stating clearly, “We don’t want political parties to be dissolved.”
Authorities cancelled the coalition’s planned Sunday meeting, as tensions escalate over proposed political reforms that could eliminate most parties.
For two weeks, government-organized talks have floated a plan to dissolve political groups, sparing only a few pro-junta factions.
These proposals trace back to a 2022 junta-led consultation aimed at forging what they called a “way out of the crisis.”
At Saturday’s conference, spokesman Oumar Ibrahim Toure condemned the talks as a “pseudo-concertation,” criticizing the coalition’s exclusion from the dialogue.
A heavy police presence monitored the gathering, a stark reminder of the junta’s tightening grip, an AFP journalist observed.
The junta had promised a return to civilian rule by March 2024 but postponed elections indefinitely, deepening political uncertainty.
Between April and July 2024, political activities were suspended, with authorities citing the threat of “subversion” as justification.
A May 2024 consultation, boycotted by major parties, recommended extending military rule for another two to five years.
It further proposed that the current junta leader should run for president whenever elections are eventually held.
