Following suggestions to ban all political groups in Mali after discussions on revising the Charter of political parties, Ousmane Diallo, a researcher for West and Central Africa at Amnesty International, shared the following concerns:

« We are deeply troubled by the prospect of dissolving political parties in Mali and warn that such a move would constitute a severe violation of the rights to freedom of association and expression. The transitional government must halt the intensifying crackdown on the civic landscape and uphold the human rights of all citizens, including activists, opposition members, and those critical of the administration.

« Eliminating political parties would stand in direct opposition to the Constitution established in 2023 by the current authorities. This document explicitly protects the existence of political groups and confirms their right to organize and conduct activities within the framework of the law.

« Such a decision would also be fundamentally at odds with the international human rights obligations of Mali, specifically the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which the country has ratified. »

Background

The military leadership in Mali has notably increased its restrictive measures against political organizations since the start of 2024.

Between April 10 and July 10, 2024, a government decree suspended the operations of political parties and the political functions of various associations. During this period, the media was also prohibited from reporting on any political movements. These restrictions followed calls from several groups for the authorities to honor the transitional Charter and facilitate a return to constitutional governance through national elections.

In May 2024, a national dialogue organized by the state—which most political parties chose to boycott—recommended that the transition period be extended until the nation achieves stability. Other suggestions from this dialogue included making the creation of new parties more difficult and removing their access to public funding.

Furthermore, 11 prominent political figures were arrested in June 2024. They faced allegations of conspiring against the state and resisting lawful authority. These leaders remained in custody until they were granted a provisional release in December 2024.