Former Malian Prime Minister Choguel Maïga has launched a scathing public critique of transitional president Assimi Goïta, condemning the junta’s decision to extend its rule by five years without elections.
The move, announced earlier this month, has reignited debates over Mali’s stalled democratic transition and exposed deepening rifts between the military leadership and some of its former allies.
Maïga, who was appointed prime minister following the military takeover in 2021, had once been a key supporter of Goïta. At the time, he championed the colonel as a guarantor of national sovereignty and a symbol of Mali’s break from foreign influence, aligning himself closely with the junta’s nationalist agenda.
However, that alliance has since unravelled, with Maïga emerging as one of the most prominent civilian voices challenging the regime’s consolidation of power.
In a statement posted on social media, Maïga blasted the extension of Goïta’s leadership as a betrayal of the principles that mobilised Malians in 2021.
“National authority cannot be monopolised by a group, however legitimate it may be given the initial circumstances,” he warned, adding that the decision amounted to “confiscating the popular will by establishing a power without any real counterbalance.”
His comments come amid growing frustration among Malians over repeated delays to elections, initially scheduled to return the country to civilian rule.
While the junta argues that security concerns and institutional reforms justify the postponements, critics accuse the military leadership of entrenching itself indefinitely.
Maïga’s intervention is widely seen as both a political warning and a personal repositioning, as he seeks to re-establish himself as a civilian alternative in a political arena dominated by the armed forces. His critique resonates with a segment of the population that supported the 2021 changes but now demands tangible commitments to restore democratic governance.
The rift underscores the fragile balance between Mali’s military rulers and public expectations, as the country navigates a transition fraught with uncertainty and mounting calls for accountability.
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