
Mali’s military-led government has formally dissolved all political parties, escalating its crackdown on dissent since seizing power in a series of coups.
A presidential decree, read on state television on Tuesday, declared the dissolution of “all meetings of members of political parties and organisations of a political character” across the country.
The announcement, approved by junta leader Colonel Assimi Goïta, comes amid mounting pressure on the transitional regime to return the country to civilian rule.
Col Goïta, who staged coups in 2020 and 2021, is expected to remain in power until at least 2030 following recommendations from a national dialogue boycotted by much of the political opposition.
Last week, two pro-democracy figures were reportedly abducted by armed men claiming to be police officers, after a rare protest in the capital. The authorities have made no official statement on their whereabouts.
The dissolution of political parties follows a March decree suspending all political activity — a move widely condemned by rights groups and opposition parties.
Despite the political clampdown, a presidential statement said that officials in administrative or government roles could “continue their duties without party affiliation.” It did not clarify whether there would be penalties for violating the order.
The main opposition coalition has yet to issue a formal response, though Nouhoum Togo, a member of the bloc and leader of the Union for the Safeguarding of the Republic (USR), dismissed the decree in a social media post:
“No matter how hard they try to make you invisible, your value doesn’t depend on their recognition,” he wrote.
A coalition of over 100 political parties had planned a demonstration against the junta last week but postponed it following the suspension.
Since taking power, Mali’s junta has pivoted away from traditional Western alliances, forging closer military and political ties with Russia, and forming a regional axis with fellow coup-led governments in Burkina Faso and Niger. All three countries have withdrawn from the West African bloc Ecowas in protest against its push for democratic transitions.