Mali
Mali exhibits low-range performance in Representation, Rights and Rule of Law and high range performance in Participation. Over the past five years, it has experienced several advances in factors of Representation and Rights. It is among the world’s top 25 countries with respect to Participation, Civic Engagement and Civil Society but among the world’s bottom 25 countries with regard to multiple factors of Representation and Rule of Law as well as Basic Welfare and Electoral Participation. This dichotomy is borne out of a long history of civil society participation that stretches back to hunters’ associations; in recent years, civil society organizations have maintained an outsized role in Malian politics even as the country has suffered notable declines in several factors of Representation and Civil Liberties. These occurred as a result of the 2020 Malian coup d’état that installed a military junta in power. Mali is a low-income country, economically dependent on subsistence agriculture. It is one of the least developed countries in the world.
Mali’s history stretches back to the powerful Western African trading empire of the same name. At the time, it was among the wealthiest nations on Earth, and Timbuktu was a renowned center of Islamic learning. In the late 19th century, Mali became part of French West Africa, and in 1960 it gained its independence. While the country was initially a one-party state, by the early 1990s it had transitioned to multi-party democracy. Nevertheless, Malian political history has been marred by the frequency of coups and Tuareg and Arab groups’ sometimes violent calls for autonomy. In 2012, a group proclaiming the independence of “Azawad” rebelled for the fourth time, triggering the ongoing war. That same year, the Malian army overthrew the civilian government in Bamako because of anger over its tepid response to the uprising. Issues of security have remained the primary drivers of Malian politics, as conflict with northern groups affiliated with ISIS and Al-Qaeda has led to massacres and food insecurity. Continued instability and violence in rural areas led to two additional coups in August 2020 and May 2021.
A secondary matter of enduring concern for Malians is corruption, as graft is endemic throughout state institutions and is itself a core driver of the ongoing security challenges. The strength and prevalence of patronage and clientelist networks have incentivized the parties to collude, rather than compete for votes.
Issues of identity also create enduring cleavages within the body politic. In general, there is a weak relationship between ethnicity and vote choice as a result of the practice of “cousinage,” an informal institution that creates ties of allegiance between members of various ethnic groups. However, the Tuareg of the North do not participate in this system of cousinage, and differing geography and tradition have coupled with economic underdevelopment in this region. The country also ranks close to the global bottom in the Gender Inequality Index, as women face significant inequalities in education, governance, and economic matters. An estimated 85 per cent of Malian women have also faced gender-based violence. Finally, LGBTQIA+ people face among the most discriminatory attitudes in the world.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch progress toward a return to civilian government, which could impact Representation and Rule of Law. The poor security situation will continue to dominate the political agenda, but progress there will be key to the state of all the Global State of Democracy Indices indicators. Key issues that have remained on the backburner, including addressing corruption and investing in development, could be better addressed once this transition occurs.
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
May 2024
National dialogue recommends extension of junta rule
On 10 May, a national dialogue aimed at establishing peace in Mali delivered its conclusions in which, amongst other things, it recommended extending the military-led transition to democracy by two to five years. The transition had been due to end on 26 March 2024, almost three years after the coup that installed junta leader Colonel Assimi Goïta as the country’s transitional president. The dialogue also recommended that Goïta, be allowed to run for president at the end of the extended transition period, that rules governing political parties be tightened and that public funding for political parties be cut off. Goïta received the recommendations positively, instructing authorities to diligently implement the measures. Many political parties had boycotted the dialogue, which had involved consultations with a range of participants, and strongly rejected its recommendations. In April 2024, authorities had indefinitely suspended the activities of all political parties and associations.
Sources: Le Dialogue Inter-Maliens, Jeune Afrique (1), Jeune Afrique (2), Africa Confidential, Voice of America, International IDEA
April 2024
Mali indefinitely suspends political parties and associations
On 10 April, Mali’s transitional government announced that it was suspending the activities of all political parties and associations in the country ‘until further notice.’ The following day all media were directed by the state’s media regulator to halt their coverage of these organisations. The suspensions were justified with reference to an ongoing national peace dialogue, which the government spokesperson said needed to ‘take place in a climate of serenity not cacophony.’ Commentators have suggested that the suspensions were a response to a demand made on 31 March by more than 80 political parties and associations for a presidential election and a return to constitutional order ‘as soon as possible.’ A presidential election had been due to take place in February 2024 but was not held, meaning that the deadline for Mali’s transition to democratic rule (26 March) was not met.
Sources: Jeune Afrique (1), Jeune Afrique (2), Voice of America, Human Rights Watch, Radio France Internationale
September 2023
Increasing violence in north as government forces battle separatist groups
The level of violence in Mali increased significantly in September as separatist groups in the north stepped up their attempts to capture territory from government forces. As many as 150 people were killed in September, including 49 civilians in one attack on a riverboat. As a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force withdraws from the country (at the request of Mali’s military government) it leaves a security vacuum. It now appears that a peace deal between the government and ethnic Tuareg separatist groups that has been in effect since 2015 is likely to collapse. The UN has warned that a humanitarian crisis is likely if the current trends in violence continue. 33,000 people have already fled northern Mali.
Sources: Africa Report, Associated Press (1), Associated Press (2), Al Jazeera, British Broadcasting Corporation
July 2023
New constitution ratified by referendum, giving new powers to president
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.
Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation, AfricaNews, France24, Radio France Internationale
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GSoD Indices Data 2014-2023
Basic Information
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Performance by category over the last 6 months
Global State of Democracy Indices
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Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time
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