Six years after the August 18, 2020 military coup that ousted former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, Mali remains locked in a profound political, security, and geopolitical overhaul. While military authorities claim significant sovereign advances, the return to elected civilian rule lacks a firm calendar, leaving critical governance and stabilization challenges unresolved.
The 2020 Overthrow and the Shifting Path of Transition
The Kati Military Camp, the M5-RFP, and the Fall of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta
What began as a mutiny at the Kati military camp near Bamako on August 18, 2020, rapidly reshaped the West African nation’s political landscape. A mutiny triggered at the Kati military camp, near Bamako, on August 18, 2020, transformed into a coup d’état with the arrest of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (IBK) and several officials of his government, ending his regime after several months of political crisis. The intervention dismantled the second mandate of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta following months of intense public demonstrations led by the Mouvement du 5 Juin-Rassemblement des forces patriotiques (M5-RFP), which targeted governance failures, security deterioration, and disputed legislative elections. The movement of August 18, 2020, occurred in a context of strong opposition to power, with the Mouvement du 5 Juin-Rassemblement des forces patriotiques (M5-RFP) mobilizing thousands of Malians and specifically demanding the resignation of the head of state, denouncing the governance of the country and the security situation.
On August 18, soldiers took control of the Soundiata-Keïta camp in Kati before heading toward Bamako, arresting several civilian and military officials during the day. Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and Prime Minister Boubou Cissé were detained and then taken to Kati. The African Union and the United Nations immediately condemned the seizure of power by force and called for the release of the president as well as the restoration of constitutional order. On the night of August 18 to 19, IBK announced his resignation on national television, as well as the dissolution of the government and the National Assembly, explaining this decision by his desire to avoid a confrontation likely to cause more victims.
On August 19, the military announced the creation of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) and claimed to take charge of conducting the transition, with Colonel Assimi Goïta appearing as one of the main figures of the new military power. A civilian transition was then established under the presidency of Bah N’Daw, a retired colonel-major and former Minister of Defense appointed under pressure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with Assimi Goïta as vice-president after taking the oath of office on September 25, 2020. This first organization ended on May 24, 2021, when Bah N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were arrested a few hours after the formation of a government that excluded two influential officers from power.
The Constitutional Court declared Assimi Goïta President of the Transition on May 28. He took the oath of office on June 7 and appointed Choguel Kokalla Maïga as Prime Minister. The February 2022 deadline was not met, and after economic and financial sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, a decree on June 6, 2022, set a new duration of 24 months starting from March 26, 2022, to intervene in March 2024. The presidential election scheduled for February 2024 was eventually postponed in September 2023 for technical reasons, without a new date being set.
Dr. Ahmadou Touré at the Research Center for Governance, Mediation and Security in the Sahel
For Dr. Ahmadou Touré, a researcher in political science and director of the Research Center for Governance, Mediation and Security in the Sahel, August 18, 2020, constitutes “the historical starting point” of a phase of rupture and refoundation. Six years later, his assessment is that of a differentiated balance sheet where some objectives have recorded significant progress, while others remain open projects.
Geopolitical Realignment and Military Upgrades
Operation Barkhane, the Alliance of Sahel States, and the Malian Armed Forces
One of the most visible changes since 2020 concerns Mali’s foreign and security policy. The departure of French forces, the end of Operation Barkhane in Mali, the exit from the G5 Sahel, and the rapprochement with new partners, notably Russia and Türkiye, marked a break with the strategic framework that prevailed before the coup. This reorientation was also accompanied by the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which has become a central instrument of the new regional architecture led by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The three countries have gradually distanced themselves from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and strengthened their security and political cooperation, notably through the announcement of an AES joint force with the goal of pooling military capacities against armed groups. For Dr. Ahmadou Touré, this evolution reflects a desire for the “reconquest of national sovereignty” and constitutes one of the main ruptures that have occurred since 2020.
On the military level, the transition authorities have undertaken a significant effort to strengthen the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), with the acquisition of new equipment, the development of aerial and surveillance capabilities, the recruitment of personnel, and the construction or rehabilitation of military infrastructure. This buildup has allowed the Malian state to regain a foothold in several areas and to conduct more autonomous operations.
Constitutional Reform and Institutional Overhaul
The new Constitution adopted on June 18, 2023, and promulgated on July 22
Institutional refoundation is one of the main achievements claimed by the authorities. A new Constitution was adopted by referendum on June 18, 2023, and then promulgated on July 22. The text recognizes national languages as official languages, maintains French as a working language, provides for a Parliament composed of a National Assembly and a Senate, and creates a Court of Auditors distinct from the Supreme Court. Article 44 of the text stipulates that the President of the Republic determines the policy of the Nation, appoints the Prime Minister, terminates their functions, designates ministers, and presides over the Council of Ministers.
