No Exit: Goïta Grants Himself an Indefinite Mandate

Mali’s transitional president, Colonel Assimi Goïta, has formally entrenched himself in power, approving a controversial law that grants him a renewable five-year term, extendable “as many times as necessary” without the need for an election.

The law, quietly signed by Goïta on Tuesday and leaked to the public on Thursday, effectively cements his grip on Mali’s presidency until at least 2030. It overrides previous commitments by the military-led government to return the country to civilian democratic rule by March 2024.

The legislation had already been passed last week by the country’s military-appointed legislature and endorsed earlier by the cabinet. It stipulates that Goïta will serve as “head of state for a term of five (05) years, renewable as many times as necessary, until the country is pacified.” The vague condition of “pacification” hands the junta broad justification for indefinite military rule.

Goïta seized power in 2021, promising to combat jihadist violence and steer Mali back toward civilian democracy. At the time, he was hailed by some citizens as a necessary corrective to the corruption and chaos of previous governments.

But his latest move completes a reversal of those initial promises. Earlier this year, a junta-led national dialogue, boycotted by most major political parties, recommended making Goïta president without an election. The same assembly also advocated the dissolution of political parties and more stringent regulations for party formation.

Just weeks later, in May, the military government dissolved all political parties and civil society groups, while also banning public meetings, as part of a sweeping crackdown on the civic space.

What’s Next For Mali?

Goïta’s self-extension of power signals the death knell for Mali’s fledgling democratic experiment. The decision institutionalizes authoritarianism and effectively eliminates electoral competition, civilian oversight, and political dissent.

Domestically, this raises serious risks of further polarization and potential resistance from marginalized political actors and civil society groups now forced underground. With formal politics shut down, discontent may spill into unrest or insurgency, particularly among regions or communities already alienated by the central state.

Internationally, the move will likely deepen Mali’s isolation. Western powers, especially former ally France, have already pulled out military and diplomatic support. In their place, Mali has pivoted towards Russia, aligning itself with other juntas in Burkina Faso and Niger to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a military and political bloc aimed at consolidating regional autocracy.

Human rights groups have expressed alarm as Russian mercenaries, now operating in Mali under the so-called “Africa Corps,” have been repeatedly implicated in abuses alongside the Malian army, particularly in counter-insurgency operations.

Despite the global outcry, Goïta retains a base of support among segments of Mali’s population who see his defiance of the West and promise of sovereignty as a form of national dignity, and as Mali sinks deeper into authoritarian rule, the broader Sahel continues its dangerous transformation into a region dominated by military strongmen, with limited space for democratic governance or external accountability.