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BAMAKO — Political tensions are once again rising in Mali as former Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga publicly denounces the ruling military junta, accusing it of hijacking power and abandoning its promises of a democratic transition.
In a sharply worded statement published on social media on Thursday, July 18, Maïga directly criticised the transitional authorities led by Colonel Assimi Goïta.
The former head of government, who was dismissed in November 2024, broke months of silence to lash out at the regime that has governed Mali since the August 2020 coup.
“The people do not agree that a group of individuals usurp their authority and exercise it against them,” Maïga wrote, in what many see as a bold condemnation of the junta’s increasingly authoritarian grip on power.
His comments came amid mounting frustration over the indefinite postponement of elections and a proposed five-year extension of military rule.
The backlash to Maïga’s statement was swift and divided. Supporters of the current regime dismissed the former premier’s remarks as bitter rhetoric.
“Choguel Maïga is angry because he was removed from office,” said a source close to Colonel Goïta, speaking anonymously.
Some, like a spokesperson for the association of Malian military wives, accused Maïga of seeking to sow discord: “Choguel Maïga wants to divide the military, but it won’t work.”
However, opposition figures and former allies saw his remarks as a turning point. Leaders of previously dissolved political parties acknowledged Maïga’s past complicity but applauded his shift in stance.
“When he speaks of a minority ruling the country, he is right. But we must also remember he helped empower them at the beginning,” said one party leader.
For long-time critics of the military government, Maïga’s declaration is further validation of their warnings. “We have always believed the junta is heading for disaster.
The former Prime Minister now says the same — and that is welcome,” said a prominent opposition figure.
Since the military seized power in 2020, Mali has been marred by democratic backsliding, institutional breakdown, and regional isolation.
The junta has repeatedly delayed its promised return to civilian rule, dissolved political parties, and stifled dissent.
Once a vocal defender of the junta’s nationalist agenda, Maïga’s abrupt departure from power in 2024 and his new outspoken criticism reflect the deepening disillusionment among Mali’s political elite — and signal a growing rift in a regime once seen as unified.
