Mali’s judiciary has dismissed multiple appeals challenging the military government’s controversial decision to dissolve all political parties, according to a statement released Friday by members of the affected groups.
The ruling comes in response to legal petitions filed by several dissolved political parties contesting the legality of the May 13 decree issued by the junta, led by General Assimi Goita, which banned political parties and civic organizations and prohibited all political gatherings.
Mountaga Tall, a lawyer and president of the now-dissolved National Congress for Democratic Initiative (CNID), confirmed in the statement that the parties will continue their legal battle by appealing to the Bamako Court of Appeal. They have also approached the Supreme Court and plan to escalate the case internationally.
“The battle will continue in Mali as well as internationally,” the statement affirmed, calling the ban a serious violation of fundamental rights, including freedom of association, assembly, and political participation.
Roughly 300 political parties had been operating in Mali before the dissolution. The junta claims that the ban is intended to streamline and reduce the number of political groups, in line with recommendations from a national consultation held in April.
That consultation, organized by the junta, also proposed stricter criteria for forming new political parties and recommended that General Goita remain in power for a renewable five-year term—despite previous promises to transition to civilian rule by March 2024.
The dissolution of political parties is the latest in a series of measures that have raised concerns about shrinking political space and democratic backsliding in Mali. The country, which has experienced successive coups in 2020 and 2021, remains mired in insecurity, grappling with ongoing violence from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS, as well as criminal armed groups.
