Mali Crisis Deepens Amid Calls to End Party Dissolution and Hold Presidential Elections
BAMAKO – Malian lawyer and political analyst Cheick Oumar Konaré has warned that the country is heading toward “a major political crisis” following the military junta’s decision to dissolve political parties and cling to power. He called for an immediate halt to the dissolution process and the announcement of a date for presidential elections.
Konaré described the situation as “dangerous,” arguing that the government’s political missteps have driven opposition parties to desperate unity. Since the start of the transition, public funding to political parties has been cut, and many of their activists have been imprisoned, he noted.
He urged transitional president General Assimi Goïta to defuse the crisis by ending the party ban and setting an election date. The warning comes amid growing protests in Bamako, where opposition leaders and civil society actors accuse the junta of violating democratic norms and extending military rule beyond its promised timeline.
Dozens of political figures, including ADEMA-PASJ’s Yaya Sangaré and youth activist Ibrahima Tamega, have condemned the move as illegal and unconstitutional. Civil society groups and Mali’s Human Rights Commission also voiced alarm, warning of escalating repression and calling for a return to constitutional order and inclusive governance. (APS)
