“Long live democracy, down with dictatorship!” echoed through Bamako’s Palais de la Culture as hundreds gathered in protest. Organized by a coalition of political parties, this rare demonstration reflects mounting concerns over an authoritarian shift under military rule led by General Assimi Goïta.

Protesters, waving flags and signs, demanded elections and the preservation of fundamental freedoms. The gathering, monitored by security forces without incident, gained significant traction on social media.

intensifying political crackdowns

On April 30, 2025, authorities repealed the law regulating political parties—a move widely seen as a precursor to their outright dissolution. This decision followed a junta-led consultation, boycotted by most opposition groups, whose recommendations include abolishing political parties and appointing General Goïta as President for a renewable five-year term without elections.

The final decision now rests solely with Assimi Goïta, who has led Mali since the 2020 and 2021 coups.

a battered democracy

This protest stands as one of the few public acts of defiance since the military takeover in 2021. Since seizing power, authorities have escalated crackdowns on dissent—targeting opposition figures, dissolving civil organizations, and stifling press freedom.

Yet Mali’s 1992 Constitution and its 2023 revised Fundamental Law explicitly uphold multiparty democracy, freedom of expression, and association.

The country, alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, withdrew from ECOWAS, citing alignment with former colonial power France, and co-founded the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), reinforcing a regional bloc of military-led governments.