Mali's efforts to stem political protests to face test on Friday

9/5/2025 16:50

An attempt by Mali's military government to stamp out public dissent by banning all political activity will be put to the test on Friday as critics wary of security and economic woes call for protests.



Authorities on Wednesday announced that all work by political parties and other political organisations had been suspended until further notice to preserve public order.



The move came ahead of planned protests in the capital, Bamako, and the city of Segou against the government, which came to power after coups in 2020 and 2021.



Government critics, including activists and opposition politicians, appeared keen to build momentum after unprecedented public gatherings on May 3 and 4 in Bamako. Those were triggered by recommendations from a national council of political actors to hand military leader Assimi Goita a five-year mandate and dissolve all political parties.



Several hundred participants carried placards displaying messages calling for multi-party elections and chanted slogans such as: "Down with dictatorship, long live democracy."



While organisers of Friday's protest postponed the event until further notice, calls for civil disobedience nonetheless circled on social media.