Mali’s junta enacts law allowing unlimited presidential terms

Mali’s transitional president and junta leader, General Assimi Goita, has officially granted himself a five-year presidential term renewable indefinitely under a new law signed earlier this week.

This latest move has stirred fresh concerns over democratic backsliding in the West African nation.

The law, which was made public on Thursday but signed on Tuesday, allows Goita to remain in power until at least 2030, effectively abandoning previous commitments to return the country to civilian rule by March 2024.

The bill had already been passed last week by Mali’s military-appointed legislative body and approved by the Council of Ministers last month.

The junta leadership had earlier committed to transferring authority to a civilian government by March 2024 — a deadline that now appears to have been abandoned.

General Goïta, aged 41, rose to power through two coups. In August 2020, he ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, and less than a year later, in May 2021, he removed the interim civilian leadership.

Following the second takeover, Goïta pledged to hold elections in 2022, but that promise has been repeatedly delayed.

“The adoption of this text is in accordance with the popular will,” said Malick Diaw, head of the transitional parliament. He described the legislation as “a major step forward in the rebuilding of Mali.”

Still, opponents warn the new law consolidates military dominance and suppresses dissent. In May, the junta dissolved all political parties, prompting alarm among rights groups and international observers.

Experts warned that indefinitely extending Goïta’s rule may derail efforts to restore democratic governance and could heighten political instability.

The legislation also permits officials currently serving in the transitional government — including the president, cabinet members, and parliamentarians — to run in future elections.

Meanwhile, Mali’s security situation remains volatile. On Tuesday, militants affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State carried out coordinated attacks against military positions in multiple towns — the third large-scale assault on security forces in less than a month.

Since taking control, Goïta has shifted Mali’s foreign policy, ending military ties with France, deepening relations with Russia, and pulling out of the regional bloc ECOWAS, which had urged a swift return to civilian rule.

Mali has since joined forces with fellow military-led neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger to establish a new alliance designed to push back against external influence.

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