Assimi Goïta, leader of the Malian junta, rises to the highest military rank

Colonel Assimi Goïta, head of the Malian junta since 2020, has proclaimed himself general, marking a new step in his grip on power. The promotion, which has also been given to five other senior officers, reinforces speculation that the junta is not planning a rapid democratic transition. With no election date in sight, the move signals a desire to prolong military rule in Mali.

Consolidation of military power
On October 16, 2024, Assimi Goïta, the leader of the military junta that seized power in Mali in 2020, proclaimed himself a general, a powerful symbolic gesture that heightened fears of a lack of democratic transition. The rank is one of the highest military distinctions, previously shared only by two former Malian presidents. The move came at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, which also promoted five other influential members of the junta to the rank of four-star generals.

The exceptional promotion clearly shows that the junta, in power since the 2020 coup, shows no intention of quickly transferring power to a civilian government, despite international pressure. According to Rida Lyammouri, an expert at the Policy Center for the New South, these promotions indicate that the military leadership is seeking to solidify its position, ignoring for now calls for elections.

The political impact of the junta
Since coming to power, Assimi Goïta has consolidated his control over the country’s political and military institutions, positioning himself as a central figure in the fight against jihadism in the Sahel. However, the junta’s rise to power has raised growing concerns among human rights organizations and the international community, who are calling for a rapid return to civilian rule.

The country, which is facing security challenges with the resurgence of terrorist attacks, is also seeing its economic situation deteriorate under the weight of international sanctions. These recent appointments at the top of the military hierarchy only reinforce the idea that the military regime has no intention of stepping down anytime soon.