Mali’s military junta announced on Wednesday that political parties and associations would be permitted to resume their activities. This decision comes after a three-month suspension, which was originally imposed to purportedly maintain public order.
The suspension, initiated in April, coincided with protests from political parties against the military government’s extension of its rule beyond the March 2024 deadline for transitioning back to civilian governance.
The military leaders, in power since 2020, argued that allowing political activities during this period could disrupt ongoing discussions about Mali’s political future amid the long-standing jihadist insurgency.
Despite significant opposition and boycotts from main political factions, the national dialogue proceeded with supporters of the military regime participating. In May, the dialogue recommended an extended military tenure of “two to five additional years” and supported the junta’s leader’s potential candidacy in future presidential elections.
During its recent governance, Mali’s junta has shifted its international alliances away from France and towards Russia, while also expelling the UN peacekeeping mission, Minusma, which was aimed at stabilizing the conflict-prone northern regions gripped by Islamist insurgencies.