BREAKING: Mali’s Military Leader Assimi Goïta Backed by Allies to Remain President Until 2030
Mali’s military ruler, General Assimi Goïta, has secured the backing of key political allies to continue serving as president for the next five years, potentially extending his grip on power until 2030.
The 41-year-old, who has twice seized power through coups, was appointed transitional president following his most recent takeover in 2021. At the time, he pledged to hold elections the following year but has since reneged on that promise—delaying the return to multi-party rule in the West African nation.
A national conference organised by the ruling regime, but boycotted by prominent opposition parties, has now recommended that Gen Goïta remain in office until 2030. He has not commented publicly on the proposal, but the gathering is widely seen as a bid to legitimise his continued leadership.
Opposition figures have pushed back against the development. Speaking to AFP over the weekend, opposition leader Mohamed Salia Touré warned that dismantling the multi-party system would be a “historic error”.
On Wednesday, Amnesty International also expressed concern, denouncing what it described as a “proposal to dissolve all political parties in Mali.” The organisation’s Sahel researcher, Ousmane Diallo, said he was “alarmed by the proposition” and that such action “would be a flagrant attack on the rights to freedom of expression and association”.
It remains unclear whether the recommendation involves the dissolution of all political parties or only those failing to meet certain criteria.
The conference additionally proposed halting all electoral processes until peace is restored in the country, according to documents seen by AFP.
Since assuming power, Gen Goïta has focused on combating jihadist violence carried out by factions linked to Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda. He has forged alliances with fellow military rulers in Burkina Faso and Niger, shifting regional allegiances towards Russia while scaling back relations with former colonial power France.
Goïta also withdrew Mali from the regional bloc Ecowas, following its pressure on the junta to return to democratic rule—a move similarly undertaken by Burkina Faso and Niger.
His first coup in August 2020 ousted then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta amid mass protests over government failures and the worsening insurgency. Gen Goïta initially handed power to a civilian-led transitional government charged with steering the country towards elections within 18 months.
However, dissatisfied with the interim leadership, he staged a second coup in May 2021, further consolidating his authority. Then a colonel, Goïta was elevated to a five-star general last year.
