Choguel Maïga ousted: Assimi Goïta tightens his grip on Mali

Mali, already mired in a never-ending political transition, has just experienced a new twist with the dismissal of Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga by the transitional president, Assimi Goïta. This decision, announced on November 20, 2024, raises questions about the political future of the country and the direction taken by its military leaders.

Divorce announced between civilians and military

Choguel Maïga, appointed Prime Minister in 2021 after the second coup orchestrated by Assimi Goïta, recently expressed his dissatisfaction with his exclusion from key government decisions. During a speech in Bamako on November 16, he criticized the unilateral postponement of the transition scheduled for March 2024 and the creation of the Independent Election Management Authority, carried out without consultation. These public criticisms, rare in the Malian political context, clearly precipitated his dismissal.

Assimi Goïta: an increasingly centralized power

Since coming to power, Assimi Goïta has consolidated his grip on Malian institutions. Choguel Maïga’s dismissal is part of a series of measures aimed at strengthening military control over the country. In June 2022, the junta promised a return to civilian rule by March 2024, but no date for presidential elections has been set. This uncertainty fuels speculation about the real intentions of the military leadership and the possibility of an indefinite extension of the transition.

A transition in peril

Mali has been in a period of political turbulence since the 2020 coup, followed by a second in 2021. The promise of a transition to civilian rule appears increasingly compromised, with successive postponements of elections and an increasing concentration of power in the hands of the military. The dismissal of Choguel Maïga, a civilian figure in the transition, symbolises the progressive marginalisation of civilian actors in the Malian political process.

Reactions and perspectives

The international community is watching with concern the evolving situation in Mali. Regional and international partners have repeatedly called for a rapid return to constitutional order and the organization of free and transparent elections. The dismissal of Choguel Maïga risks exacerbating internal tensions and further complicating the end of the crisis.