Reports indicate that Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga has been away for several days, having traveled to Turkey for a medical check-up. His absence has sparked speculation about his health and the state of governance in Mali. In his absence, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, the Minister of State, Territorial Administration and Decentralization, and government spokesperson, is once again serving as interim Prime Minister. He recently represented Mali at the 79th United Nations General Assembly on September 28, 2024.
This is not the first instance of Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga stepping in for Choguel Maiga. In 2022, the Prime Minister was sidelined for several months after suffering a stroke, during which Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga took on the role at the UN General Assembly. That prior extended absence had already raised doubts about Choguel Maiga’s capacity to fully resume his duties. Observers are now questioning whether this current situation could lead to a permanent change in leadership.
Choguel Maiga’s last public appearance was on September 21, 2024, when he chaired an awareness day organized by the Sports Medicine Center in collaboration with the National High Council for the Fight Against AIDS. Since that event, he has missed several important gatherings, including a crucial meeting on September 26 regarding the preliminary draft of the National Charter for Peace and Reconciliation. His repeated disappearances have reignited concerns about his health and potential political rifts with the military leadership.
For months, Choguel Maiga has not aligned himself with the military authorities. He previously called for an end to the transition, which he deemed overly lengthy. Furthermore, after being ousted from the M5-RFP strategic committee, he implied that the military was behind this decision. His deputy, Kader Maiga, publicly accused military officers, which resulted in his imprisonment alongside several other charges.
Tensions within the executive branch heightened in May 2024 with the release of a memorandum by close associates of Choguel Maiga that openly criticized the military’s management of the country. This document caused a significant stir in the government and raised speculations about a rift between Choguel Maiga and the junta. Following the “rectification” of the transition led by Bah Ndaw and Moctar Ouane in May 2021, just nine months after a coup d’état that ousted Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the military placed Choguel Maiga at the helm of the government.
MD/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA