Mali’s Junta Leader, General Assimi Goita, has signed a new law granting himself a five-year presidential term renewable indefinitely and without elections.
The bill, signed into law on Thursday, effectively allows Goita to remain in power until at least 2030. This move breaks from the junta’s earlier commitment to return the country to civilian rule by March 2024.
The legislation stems from recommendations made during a national dialogue held in April, which was largely boycotted by political parties and civil society groups. It was passed by a military-appointed legislative council last week.
In May, Goita also dissolved all political parties by decree, amid a wave of kidnappings targeting pro-democracy activists in the capital, Bamako. The crackdown followed a protest by hundreds of citizens demanding a return to democratic governance.
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The new law is seen as the latest step by the military government to tighten its grip on power in Mali, a country plagued by jihadist violence and long-standing political turmoil.
General Goita has ruled Mali since seizing power in two coups first in 2020, then again in 2021. His regime has faced growing criticism for limiting civil liberties and delaying democratic transition in the crisis-hit Sahel region.
