Mali’s military government has dissolved all political parties, escalating concerns over democratic backsliding and human rights violations. The move comes amid growing reports of opposition leaders being forcibly disappeared.
In a televised address on Tuesday, interim President Colonel Assimi Goita approved the dissolution, tightening control following a wave of anti-government demonstrations earlier this month. Protesters had taken to the streets on May 3 and 4, demanding a return to democratic rule and carrying placards reading, “Down with dictatorship, long live democracy.”
The demonstrations followed an April national conference, where participants—mostly aligned with the current regime—recommended extending Goita’s rule until 2030. The proposal was met with sharp criticism from opposition parties and human rights organizations.
Ahead of a planned follow-up protest last Friday, the military issued a decree suspending all political activities nationwide, effectively forcing the cancellation of the demonstration. The government has since moved to dissolve all political parties, further silencing dissent.
The clampdown coincides with a spate of reported abductions of opposition figures. Human Rights Watch reported on Thursday that Abba Alhassane, Secretary-General of the Convergence for the Development of Mali (CODEM), was taken by masked gunmen. That same day, El Bachir Thiam, leader of the Yelema party, was reportedly abducted in Kati, a town near the capital, Bamako.
A member of CODEM, speaking anonymously, told reporters that the party had also lost contact with Abdoul Karim Traore, a prominent youth leader, and suspects he may have also been abducted.
Malian authorities have yet to comment on the alleged arrests or disappearances.
Colonel Goita first came to power in 2020 through a military coup, ousting the civilian government amid mounting insecurity and attacks by armed groups linked to ISIL and al-Qaeda. A second coup in 2021 cemented his leadership. Although elections were initially promised for 2022, the transition timeline has repeatedly shifted, raising fears that the country is moving further away from democratic governance.
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