During a national dialogue in Mali, which saw minimal participation from the opposition, hundreds of attendees recommended that the military rulers, who assumed power in 2020, extend their tenure for several additional years. According to a statement broadcasted on state television, the participants proposed that junta chief Colonel Assimi Goita be considered a presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections.

Boubacar Sow, the rapporteur of the steering committee overseeing the consultations, disclosed that the recommendation included prolonging the transition period "from two to five years." Additionally, they endorsed promoting Colonel Assimi Goita's candidacy for the presidency in the upcoming election cycle.

Effectively, this proposition implies that the military colonels would remain in control for an additional three years, extending their rule from the end of March 2024 until 2027. Furthermore, the dialogue suggested initiating discussions with the so-called jihadist armed groups, indicating a potential shift in the approach towards addressing security challenges.

Despite these recommendations, a significant portion of the opposition boycotted the dialogue, alleging that the military officers were exploiting it to perpetuate their hold on power. Mali has been under junta rule since successive coups in 2020 and 2021, with assurances from the military of facilitating a transition through democratic elections in February. However, elections have been postponed indefinitely due to a deteriorating security situation exacerbated by jihadist activities.

In April, the military authorities suspended all party political activities and cracked down on opponents, journalists, and human rights activists. Colonel Assimi Goita maintained that the dialogue was inclusive, emphasizing his desire for all Malians to participate and express themselves freely.

Naijamatta is a social networking site,

download Naijamatta from Google play store or visit www.naijamatta.com to register. You can post, comment, do voice and video call, join and open group, go live etc. Join Naijamatta family, the Green app.