In Mali, the junta has simply suspended the residual democracy that survived after the putsches led by Colonel Assimi Goïta. In a decree issued on 10 April 2024, the President of Mali’s transitional government suspended the activities of the country’s political parties and associations until further notice. The Malian authorities justify this unprecedented measure by a desire to « mend the social fabric » and « strengthen national cohesion ». Following the same logic, the country’s High Authority for Communication has ordered the media to suspend all broadcasting of news relating to politics.

This is a new departure for the Malian junta, which continues to plunge the country into an unacceptable situation with almost daily abuses. After the putsches, the arbitrary arrests and the threats and intimidation that are now recurrent in the country, this is a new blow to freedom in the country. The transition regime was due to end on 26 March after four years of… transition. But unsurprisingly, the junta is refusing to hand over power to civilians. The President and his government are delaying a return to constitutional order, which should be achieved through the organisation of free, transparent and democratic elections. On the contrary, we are witnessing a desire on the part of the Malian junta to extend its lease, thereby violating its previous commitments and pursuing the logic of illegitimate seizure of power in 2020 and 2021.

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This attitude is hardly surprising given the record of the military in power. It makes it all the more foolish to issue press releases and make speeches in Mali and throughout West Africa hailing the fall of the late Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta by undemocratic means. Military rule is never a solution, because illusions often disappear along the way and power is held through intimidation, violence and the stifling of all dissenting voices.

Colonel Goïta and his deputies took power at a particular time, when the phenomenon known as ‘anti-French sentiment’ was gaining momentum, prompting public opinion, particularly among young people, to demand that the last links with the former colonial power be broken, against a backdrop of sometimes fanciful accusations and far-fetched promises. There is much to be said about the roots of the so-called « anti-French sentiment », with its mix of legitimate demands, limited responses, lies disseminated via social networks and mass manipulation against a backdrop of ideological warfare and geopolitical positioning between the major powers.

But all in all, it’s the people of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger who are the victims of a shoddy anti-imperialism and platform slogans that may boost the egos of some, but do nothing to fundamentally change the lives of their citizens.

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The French soldiers have left. The « instructors » of the new friendly power are present. The nationalist refrain is heard daily in the public media and on the internet. But the concrete reality speaks for itself and is there for all to see. Despite the incessant bravado, the living conditions of Malians have not improved, if they have not worsened. Their freedoms are confiscated by political authorities who are also armed men ruling by terror. The enemy of populism is reality. It is in the exercise of power that bluster and untenable promises are laid bare. The martial and warlike rhetoric against anti-imperialism will not last forever. For a time, they mask the negligence of populist regimes and their inability to provide solutions to people’s concerns. But over time, their positive results are meagre…

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It is a pleasure to see Malian democrats getting organised. They are showing remarkable courage and great political maturity. Political parties and civil society associations have signed the Declaration of 31 March to condemn the serious attacks on freedoms in the country and have promised to take action. They can only have our support, because in the face of these scandalous decisions, there is no other way out than to fight relentlessly. Mali can regain its place as a democratic nation, won through hard struggle and decades of effort and commitment.

By Hamidou ANNE / hamidou.anne@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Serigne S. DIAGNE / Ndey T. SOSSEH