Mali junta chief approves step towards restricting political parties

Bamako: Mali’s military ruler on Tuesday approved a bill revoking the country’s political parties charter, which the opposition sees as a step towards its dissolution, according to a presidency decree.

The suspension of the charter, which regulates the functioning, creation and financing of political parties, marks a new act of repression of dissenting voices in the west African country, ruled by the army since two coups, in 2020 and 2021.

Junta chief General Assimi Goita’s approval comes a day after the military-appointed parliament, the National Transitional Council, adopted the proposal.

A national assembly organised in late April — virtually wholly boycotted by the opposition — called for the dissolution of parties and the toughening up of their creation.

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“All dispositions” of the law regarding the political party charter “are and remain revoked”, the decree from General Goita’s office on Tuesday said.

Since the twin coups a welter of retaliatory measures, legal proceedings and the dissolution of a swathe of associations have left the Malian opposition considerably weakened.

That squeeze on civic space comes against a backdrop of clamour by the authorities for the country to unite behind the military.

Since 2012, the country has been mired in violence carried out by militant groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as other criminal groups.

Separately, the security situation in the country has deteriorated significantly since the military junta took power in 2020 and the government has struggled to contain violence.

Mali is just one of several West African states that have been subject to coups in recent years.

The military took power in neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso in 2023, citing the threat posed by Islamist groups.