Mali: Junta chief promotes himself to top army rank
Mali appears to be descending towards a long term military dictatorship and away from being a young democracy, according to recent reports.
The head of the military junta who seized power in Mali in 2020 has elevated himself to general of the Malian Army according to AP News.
Assimi Goita, Mali’s ‘transitional’ president, now holds the special title of Colonel of the Land Army, the highest military rank in Mali.
The strange announcement was made on the 16th October, with the position having only been held by two former heads of state.
Five other influential colonels from the 2020 junta received “exceptional” promotions to the rank of four-star generals.
According to AP News, the move shows Goita has no intention of relinquishing any power.
Since 2021, he has carried the title of “president of the transition, head of state” but as of yet no date has been set for Mali’s presidential election.
Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, told AP News: “This is another indication that junta leaders will continue to position themselves as the only rulers, and have no intention of having a democratic transition into civilian rule anytime soon.”
The promotion follows the banning of political party activities and the reporting of them by the media in April 2024.
READ: Mali’s junta imposes political restrictions
The prohibition was a reaction to a joint statement made by some of Mali’s main political parties calling on the junta to set up an industrial framework for polls.
The statement had over 20 signatures, including the support of the ex-president’s party and a major Malian coalition.
The US said that it was “deeply concerned” with the censorship and limitations placed on political parties in Mali.
State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller stated that the freedom of association and expression are “critical to an open society.”
It seems the Colonel, who received much of his military training in Europe and the United States, is not ready to leave the limelight just yet.
AP News
