Mali Interim Government Continues to Delay National Election
United Nations peacekeeping forces. (Wikimedia Commons)
A delegation led by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) arrived in Mali on October 24 to pressure the military-led interim government into holding its national elections in February. An 18-month transitional period was announced in August 2020 by a previous interim government following a coup, but a subsequent coup in May 2021 (led by officer Assimi Goita) has complicated the transition schedule. The government publically intends to announce the new election date in December.
The UNSC delegation, composed of American, French, and Nigerien diplomats, held a two-day summit with leaders from the transitional government. Abdoulaye Diop, the Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, stated, “We welcome this mission with open arms. We found this an opportunity to present the reality of the situation in Mali, and also to present the progress that is being made by the transitional government.” Nigerian diplomat Abdou Abarry emphasized that the international community needed to pressure the interim government to “not delay the end of the transition.”
The 18-month timeline was decided upon by an agreement between the previous interim government of Mali and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Mali was a member of ECOWAS until the May 2021 coup, after which its membership was suspended.
Interim Malian Prime Minister Choguel Maiga said in September that elections would be postponed by “two weeks, two months, a few months,” promising that a new date would be agreed upon by October, which did not happen. However, not everyone is frustrated or alarmed by the intention to delay national elections. Attaye Ag Mohamed, the leader of a Tuareg rebel alliance in the north of the country, recognizes the importance of the government reform negotiations that must occur before the election. According to Mohamed, the consequences of a “premature election” risk the formation of an unstable government and hold the potential for yet another coup.
The importance of government reform is made even more prescient by a series of reports documenting illegal actions supposedly carried out by the military. Since September, at least 14 men have gone missing, having last been seen in the custody of military security forces. In addition, three bodies were found outside of an army camp in early October. As the interim government continuously disregards demands from the international community, their lawless behavior within their own borders highlights how crucial national reform is.
Furthermore, on October 25, only one day after the UNSC delegation arrived in Mali, the interim government expelled the ECOWAS special representative to the country, Hamidou Boly. They declared him a persona non grata, stating that he performed actions “incompatible with his status.” While no official statement was released relating the expulsion to international pressure to hold elections, its concurrence with the presence of the international delegation was likely intentional.
With an election date yet to be set, the interim government’s conduct toward the international community has become increasingly hostile; its record of breaking promises signals a refusal to cooperate with agreements and deadlines.