MALI MILITARY LEADER SIGNS LAW GRANTING HIM UNLIMITED POWER
EL-ZION NEWS
Mali's transitional military leader, General Assimi Goita, has formally granted himself a five-year presidential term that can be renewed indefinitely, bypassing elections entirely. The controversial measure was officially revealed on Thursday.
Although the approval of the new law had been anticipated for days, it became public after a copy of the signed legislation, dated Tuesday, was leaked. This development follows the passage of the bill by Mali’s military-appointed legislative body the previous week.
According to the newly enacted law, Goita is authorized to serve "as head of state for a term of five (05) years, renewable as many times as necessary, until the country is pacified.” This effectively allows him to remain in power through at least 2030, significantly extending his rule beyond the initial promise to transition to civilian leadership by March 2024.
This move is seen as part of a broader effort by Mali’s military authorities to tighten their grip on power, as the country grapples with jihadist violence and growing international isolation.
The Malian cabinet, known as the Council of Ministers, had already approved the legislation in a prior session held last month.
When Goita first assumed power, he emphasized the importance of combating extremism and vowed to restore democratic governance. At the time, some citizens viewed him as a potential savior for the conflict-ridden West African state.
However, those early commitments have since unraveled. Goita failed to hand over power to an elected civilian government by the promised March 2024 deadline. Instead, earlier this year, a junta-controlled national consultation proposed that Goita be declared president for a renewable five-year term—without the need for an election.
That same consultation, which was largely boycotted by major political groups, also suggested dissolving existing political parties and placing stricter conditions on forming new ones.
Following those recommendations, the military government announced in May the disbandment of all political parties and civic organizations, and imposed a blanket ban on public gatherings and meetings.
The ongoing political clampdown comes amid increasing calls from authorities for national unity under military leadership.
Goita’s regime has also marked a major shift in Mali’s foreign policy. Relations with traditional allies such as France have deteriorated sharply, as the country increasingly aligns itself with Russia.
Alongside fellow junta-led nations Burkina Faso and Niger, Mali has helped form a new regional bloc known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The group recently declared plans to establish a joint military force of 5,000 troops to coordinate operations across their territories.
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