Transition in Mali: Four Years of Official Narrative

The lack of independent analysis and the strong influence of government propaganda make it difficult to form a clear picture of the events following the ousting of the last democratically elected president. As a result, the future appears even more uncertain. Coups in the Sahel region often seem to occur during the third quarter of the year. Recently, the Malian military celebrated the fourth anniversary of the ousting of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, which took place on August 18, 2020. This event closely follows the first anniversary of the coup in Niger, where General Abdourahamane Tiani took power on July 26, 2023, and it precedes the commemoration of September 30, 2022, the day Captain Ibrahim Traoré assumed leadership in Burkina Faso. In anticipation of these significant anniversaries, the Malian government decided on July 10 to lift the suspension of political activities for parties and associations. However, the freedom of criticism seems to struggle to fully recover, as noted by the Ivorian musician Tiken Jah Fakoly, for whom Mali is a second homeland. Despite a few rare courageous voices, the pervasive influence of revolutionary rhetoric continues to make it difficult to provide a thorough and objective assessment of the last four years. Investigative work by the press and specialized organizations remains largely constrained.