Mali’s transitional authorities have taken a significant step toward reshaping the country’s political future, as a national forum of political stakeholders recommended that junta leader Assimi Goita be appointed president for a five-year term. This proposal was among the key outcomes of a political dialogue held in the capital, Bamako, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
The conference convened to discuss the nation’s political trajectory and put forward a controversial recommendation to dissolve all existing political parties and impose stricter requirements for the formation of new ones. According to a statement released afterward, these measures are expected to be implemented in the coming days.
Goita, 41, led the military coups in 2020 and 2021 and has served as Mali’s transitional leader under the title “President of the Transition” since 2021. Initially a colonel, he was promoted to five-star general in October 2024, solidifying his position within the armed forces and national leadership.
The military government had previously pledged to conduct democratic elections by February 2022, but that timeline has been repeatedly delayed. Mali’s junta maintains that its priority is to restore security in a country plagued by over a decade of insurgency linked to jihadist groups affiliated with Islamic State and al-Qaeda, many of which evolved from a separatist Tuareg rebellion in the north.
As the Sahel nation continues to navigate a prolonged period of political transition, the latest recommendations signal a potential entrenchment of military rule under Goita’s leadership.
