Mali’s civilian Prime Minister, Choguel Kokalla Maïga, was dismissed from office on Wednesday following his public criticism of the country’s military rulers. The announcement was made by Alfousseyni Diawara, the Secretary General of the presidential office, during a broadcast on state television ORTM.
“The duties of the prime minister and the members of the government are terminated,” stated a decree signed by Colonel Assimi Goïta, the military leader who has governed the West African nation since two successive coups in 2020 and 2021.
Maïga’s removal follows his remarks at a rally in Bamako last Saturday, where he accused the junta of indefinitely delaying the promised transition to civilian rule. Originally scheduled for March 26, the transition process has yet to commence, and no new timeline has been provided. Maïga expressed his frustration at the lack of consultation on the matter, stating he had to rely on media reports for updates.
This uncertainty, Maïga warned, risks derailing progress and poses a threat of regression for Mali, a country already grappling with jihadist insurgencies and separatist conflicts.
Colonel Goïta, who emerged as interim president following the 2021 coup, had pledged to hold elections in February 2024. However, citing “technical reasons,” the timeline has been postponed without clarification. Goïta had previously established a 24-month transition framework starting in March 2022, aimed at returning the country to democratic governance.
Sixty-six-year-old Maïga, who previously served as a minister and contested the presidency three times, was seen as the civilian face of the junta. He played a central role in steering Mali away from its traditional partnership with former colonial ruler France, shifting instead toward closer ties with Russia.
At the United Nations in September 2021, Maïga condemned France’s decision to withdraw its anti-jihadist force from Mali, calling it an “abandonment in mid-air” that forced the government to seek new military alliances, including cooperation with the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.
The junta has yet to announce Maïga’s replacement as prime minister, leaving Mali’s political direction uncertain as it navigates this period of unrest.