Mali’s transitional president cum military leader, Gen. Assimi Goita, has officially given himself a five-year term as head of state and he can renew it “as many times as necessary” without holding an election.
This new law, signed on Tuesday and revealed to the public on Thursday, allows Goita to stay in power until at least 2030.
The military-run legislature passed the bill last week, and Mali’s cabinet had already approved it last month.
Originally, the military promised to return the country to civilian rule by March 2024, after Goita seized power in 2021. That promise has now been abandoned.
Goita’s appointment for this extended term came after a junta-led national consultation earlier this year, which was mostly boycotted by opposition groups. That meeting also called for the dissolution of all political parties and stricter rules for creating new ones.
In May, Mali’s military government followed through and banned political parties and public meetings.
Under Goita, Mali has turned its back on former allies like France and has grown closer to Russia.
The country has also joined Burkina Faso and Niger both also under military rule to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The group plans to create a joint 5,000-strong military force.
Since 2012, Mali has faced ongoing violence from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and other armed factions. Terrorist attacks have worsened in recent weeks.
Despite the growing unrest and shrinking political freedoms, some Malians continue to support Goita, seeing him as a leader who’s restoring national pride and independence.
