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Claim: Mali’s transitional president, General Assimi Goïta, has signed a controversial law granting himself a five-year presidential term renewable indefinitely and without elections.
Verdict: TRUE! Multiple credible media reports show that he has extended his rule to a five-year term renewable indefinitely without elections.
Full Text
General Assimi Goïta came to power in Mali following two military coups, one in 2020 and another in 2021. After consolidating power, his transitional government promised a return to civilian rule by March 2024, as reported by Al Jazeera.
A recent Facebook post by Queen Biba Blog claimed that Mali’s transitional president, General Assimi Goïta, has signed a new law granting himself a renewable five-year presidential term without elections.
This law overrides earlier promises to return to civilian rule by March 2024, thus allowing Goïta to remain in power until at least 2030. The justification cited is to maintain leadership “until the country is pacified,” thereby raising concerns about growing military control and the erosion of democratic processes in Mali.
Mixed reactions trail comments from other Facebook users on the post, as shown below:
Mustapha Kallon wrote: “This move is going to ignite conflicts as time goes on.”
Another commenter, Humble Gramy, stated, “If he means good for his people, commits to development, and avoids corruption, then until 2050!”
Also commenting on the post, Harry Cole, said: “In support! As long as he’s doing what his people want and is happy with it, to the citizens, it’s fine.”
Another user, Konbeh Koroma, also commented: “Let Maada Bio go and fight now with his ECOWAS troops.”
Unverified information can fuel misinformation, increase political tensions, and undermine accountability in such a fragile context. Verifying this claim is essential to providing accurate information to the public, preventing the spread of false narratives, and clarifying the legitimacy and details of such a law, if any.
Verification
Mali’s transitional parliament has approved a new law granting its junta leader, General Assimi Goïta, a renewable five-year presidential term without holding elections.
A July 2025 BBC report says the bill allows Goïta to extend his rule “as many times as necessary” until Mali is deemed “pacified.”
Recent reports from other credible regional and international media outlets, including France 24, confirmed that the military-led Malian government has indeed passed the new law that effectively extends the transitional period beyond the previously agreed March 2024 deadline. The law was adopted by the National Transitional Council (Mali’s military-backed legislative body) and signed by Goïta on July 3rd, 2025.
The law, signed by General Assimi Goïta, grants him authority to lead Mali until at least 2030 despite the military government’s initial pledge to return to civilian rule by March 2024.
Similarly, France 24 and The Zambian Observer reports further confirmed that the legislation allows Goïta’s mandate to be renewed “as many times as necessary,” and without election.
Conclusion
As multiple media reports show, the claim that General Assimi Goïta signed a law giving himself a five-year term renewable indefinitely without elections is TRUE.
