Mali’s military government on Tuesday announced the end of all political parties in the country.
The declaration was made on State television, confirming that interim leader Assimi Goita approved the action.
The development followed a recent gathering of political groups in Mali where participants proposed the scrapping of all existing political parties. During the meeting, they also suggested Goita remain as president for another five years.
The outcome of the meeting caused an uproar, sparking protests in Bamako on May 3 and 4.
Demonstrators marched through the streets with signs calling for democratic elections and rejecting military rule.
As preparations began for another protest scheduled for May 9, the junta quickly responded by halting all political activities.
This decision forced opposition groups to cancel the planned demonstration, silencing public dissent for the time being.
In the days that followed, human rights organizations began raising alarms about the sudden disappearance of opposition leaders.
One such group reported that Abba Alhassane, the secretary general of the Convergence for the Development of Mali (CODEM), was taken by masked men who claimed to be law enforcement agents on May 8.
On the same day, another political figure, El Bachir Thiam from the Yelema party, was reportedly seized in the town of Kati, just outside the capital.
The military first took control in August 2020, during a period of increased violence from armed groups linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda.
At the time, Goita promised to return the country to civilian rule through elections initially set for February 2022, but that promise is yet to be fulfilled up till now.
