Mali’s military leader, General Assimi Goïta, has officially approved a law giving himself a five-year term as president, with the option to renew it without limit and without holding elections.
The measure became public on Thursday, days after the country’s military-appointed parliament passed it and a month after the cabinet backed it.
The law, signed earlier this week, allows Goïta to lead the country until at least 2030.
This development goes against the junta’s earlier commitment to transfer power to a civilian government by March 2024.
Goïta first came to power promising to tackle ongoing jihadist violence and restore civilian rule.
While some Malians initially welcomed him as a figure of change, he has not followed through on the timeline for elections.
Earlier this year, a junta-organized consultation, mostly boycotted by political groups, proposed that Goïta be declared president without a vote.
The same group also pushed for the suspension of political parties and stricter rules on forming new ones. Following this, the government dissolved all political parties and banned public meetings in May.
Goïta’s time in power has also shifted Mali’s international alliances. The country has cut ties with France and drawn closer to Russia.
Alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, also led by military rulers, Mali has formed the Alliance of Sahel States.
The group plans joint military operations with a 5,000-strong force.
Russian military contractors now support Mali’s forces in anti-jihadist operations but have faced accusations of harming civilians.
Violence by jihadist groups tied to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State has continued since 2012 and has recently intensified. Still, Goïta maintains backing from parts of the population who view him as defending national interests.