Mali Junta Tightens Grip: Goïta Granted Five More Years in Power Under New Bill

Reporting by iNewsAfrica Bureau, Abuja

Mali’s transitional government has adopted a bill extending junta leader Assimi Goïta’s rule by five years, drawing criticism from pro-democracy groups and raising fears of prolonged military dominance.

• Mali’s Council of Ministers has adopted a bill to extend junta leader Gen. Assimi Goïta’s rule by five more years.

• The extension follows a government-led national dialogue boycotted by opposition and civil society groups.

• The bill awaits approval from the National Transitional Council, Mali’s legislative body.

• This move effectively delays promised elections and entrenches military rule.

• Pro-democracy activists and international observers have expressed deep concern over Mali’s democratic backsliding.

Bamako, Mali – In a move that has drawn widespread criticism from civil society and the international community, Mali’s Council of Ministers has passed a controversial bill granting transitional leader Gen. Assimi Goïta another five years in office. If endorsed by the National Transitional Council, the bill would entrench military rule in the West African nation until at least 2030.

The decision comes after a tightly controlled “national dialogue” held in April, which recommended extending the junta’s transition and appointing Goïta as president. Opposition parties and civil society groups boycotted the dialogue, labeling it undemocratic and exclusionary.

Goïta, who came to power in successive coups in 2020 and 2021, had initially pledged a return to civilian rule through elections slated for March 2024. Those elections were indefinitely postponed, prompting fears that the junta was deliberately entrenching itself.

In May, Mali’s military rulers dissolved all registered political parties and cracked down on dissent, setting the stage for a sweeping power grab. The recent bill formalizes that trajectory.

The proposal has triggered a backlash from pro-democracy activists, who held a rare public protest in Bamako last month—the first such demonstration since the 2020 coup. Rights groups warn that the current path could lead to further political repression and destabilization.

“The junta has effectively slammed the door on democratic transition,” said a local activist who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. “Malians are being silenced as their future is being decided behind closed doors.”

The bill now awaits ratification by the National Transitional Council—a rubber-stamp legislature loyal to the junta.

As Mali battles a worsening insurgency, economic stagnation, and growing diplomatic isolation, the extension of Goïta’s mandate signals a deepening authoritarian shift, mirroring patterns seen in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

iNewsAfrica will continue to monitor developments from Bamako.