Mali’s Junta Chief Promotes Himself to Top Army Rank

Mali’s military junta chief has elevated himself to the highest rank in the army, a move that raises concerns about the consolidation of power and the country’s political stability.

On Wednesday, the leader of Mali’s military junta that took control in 2020 elevated himself to the rank of army general, assuming a special title. Colonel Assimi Goita now holds this distinguished position within the land army, a prestigious honor shared only by two former heads of state in Mali’s history.

Goita’s actions indicate that he has no plans to relinquish control to civilian authorities in the landlocked West African nation.

The Council of Ministers announced through a statement on the Malian government’s general secretariat website that five other prominent colonels from the Malian military junta received “exceptional” promotions to four-star generals.

Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, stated that this is further evidence of junta leaders aiming to maintain their status as sole rulers with no plans for transitioning to civilian governance in the near future.

A date has not yet been established for Mali’s presidential election.