Junta suspends political activities

Mali's ruling junta has issued a decree suspending all political activities until further notice, saying it needs to preserve public order, a move that follows last year's decision to call off elections indefinitely. Junta spokesperson Abdoulaye Maiga read out the statement on state television last week, while the country was celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a Voice of America report notes. Mali has experienced two coups since 2020, amid a wave of political instability that has swept across West and Central Africa. The country has battled a worsening insurgency by jihadi groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group for over a decade. Colonel Assimi Goita, who took charge after a second coup in 2021, promised to return the country to democracy in early 2024. But in September, the junta cancelled elections scheduled for February 2024 indefinitely, citing the need for further technical preparations. Analysts said the move was likely a backlash against political figures, civil society and students who have expressed frustration with the junta's repeated moves to delay the nation's transition back to democratic rule.