Mali

The referendum on a new constitution that had originally been planned for March was held in July. The official results indicated that 97 per cent supported the ratification of the new constitution, with 38 per cent of registered voters participating. Turnout was hampered in some parts of the country by insecurity, and opposition parties claimed that the vote was irreparably marred by irregularities. The new constitution includes many of the fundamental rights that have become standard parts of constitutions across the continent in recent decades as well as some new protections against corruption and a new upper chamber. It also gives more prominence to local languages by demoting French. However, the constitution moves Mali from a semi-presidential to a presidential system, making the government responsible to the president rather than the legislature. The president will be limited to being re-elected only once. The first presidential election under this new constitution is scheduled for February 2024.

Referendum Constitution

A court in Bamako ordered the dissolution of the Malian African Democratic Socialist Party (PSDA) in June. The government had initiated legal action against the PSDA after its leader, Ismaël Sacko sharply criticised Prime Minister Choguel Maïga during an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) in October 2022. RFI had itself been suspended from broadcasting in Mali in March 2022. In response to the judgement, Sacko said that the party would appeal the decision and would continue to operate.

PSDA Ismaël Sacko Choguel Maïga

On 12 May, the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights released the report of an investigation into a mass killing alleged to have taken place during a military operation against insurgents in Mali in March 2022. The UN investigation found that more than 500 people were killed in the course of a five-day military operation in the village of Moura in central Mali. Most of those who were killed were ‘summarily executed’. Witnesses reported that the perpetrators included both Malian military personnel and foreign mercenaries. The atrocities during these five days also included rape and torture. The Malian government continues to deny that its personnel have committed atrocities, and its own investigation is ongoing.

Gender-Based Violence Massacre

One of the key steps in the transition to civilian rule in Mali is the ratification of a new constitution. A referendum on a new constitution had been planned to take place on 19 March. However, the draft text was only delivered to the country’s de facto ruler, Colonel Assimi Goita, on 27 February, and a delay in the date of the referendum was not unexpected. Observers have noted that the current draft of the constitution will concentrate power in the hands of the president, and that there are indications that the current junta members are likely to seek that office when elections are held. This is a setback in the overall transitional plan, which is planned to culminate in elections scheduled for February 2024.

Referendum Constitutional reform Colonel Assimi Goita