Mali suspends political activities ahead of planned protest

Mali has suspended political activities across the country ahead of a planned protest against the military junta that has ruled since coups in 2020 and 2021, authorities said on Wednesday.

The West African country's political parties are demanding a return to constitutional order and a presidential election, and they were expected to gather for a demonstration on Friday.

However, the junta said in a statement read on state TV on Wednesday that activities of political parties and other political organisations had been suspended until further notice to preserve public order.

Last week, a national conference of political actors recommended naming junta leader Assimi Goita as president with a five-year mandate. The conference also recommended the dissolution of all political parties and the tightening of conditions for the creation of new parties.

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In response to that announcement, a coalition of political parties held a demonstration on May 3, saying Malians were not represented in the conference. Parties were expected to gather again on Friday.

The junta originally committed to holding elections in February 2022, but that timeline has been pushed back several times.

In 2024, Mali formed a cooperation pact known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with its neighbours in the impoverished Sahel region, Burkina Faso and Niger, after severing long-standing military ties with France and other Western powers.