The Malian government is pressing ahead with its political reform agenda, aiming for the final adoption of the National Charter for Peace and Reconciliation by June 30.
This ambitious initiative, launched in June 2024, signifies Mali’s pivot away from the Algiers Peace Agreement, seeking to establish a sovereign framework to address the nation’s persistent security and social challenges.
Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga chaired a crucial strategic meeting on Monday, May 26, 2025, bringing together government officials and the commission tasked with drafting the Charter. The objective was to finalize the critical details of this landmark document.
The commission, led by Ousmane Issoufi Maiga, was formed in June 2024 at the initiative of the President of the Transition. Its work has involved several complex stages, including a first draft presented in October despite initial organizational hurdles during national consultations. Extensive fieldwork conducted between February and April 2025 significantly enriched the text with citizen contributions. The final document is now structured into 16 titles, 39 chapters, and 105 articles, reflecting a comprehensive approach to national issues.
A sovereign alternative and inclusion concerns
This initiative marks a clear departure from Mali’s previous engagement with the Peace Agreement stemming from the Algiers process, which the Malian authorities officially abandoned in January 2024. The government has declared the Algiers agreement obsolete, now favoring a fully sovereign approach free from external influence.
However, this new direction has raised questions regarding its inclusiveness. The notable absence of representatives from armed groups still in conflict could pose an obstacle to the effectiveness of the mechanism, according to several analysts monitoring the Malian situation.
The Charter outlines an ambitious societal vision, placing lasting peace, collective security, social cohesion, and community harmony at its core. It emphasizes fundamental values such as patriotism, respect for parental authority, loyalty to the nation, and the importance of work.
Institutionally, the text advocates for fair justice, transparent governance, freedom of expression and the press, and a relentless fight against corruption and financial crime. A key feature of this Charter is its intention to prioritize traditional and endogenous mechanisms for preventing and resolving internal conflicts.
Government commitment amidst sweeping reforms
During the recent meeting, the committee chair expressed satisfaction with the government’s sustained involvement in the process. For his part, Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga reiterated the state’s determination to translate this Charter into concrete achievements upon its final adoption.
This push for the Charter unfolds amidst sweeping political transformations in Mali. On May 13, 2025, Malian authorities dissolved all political parties and organizations by presidential decree. This drastic measure also included the repeal of legislative texts that had previously regulated the functioning of political parties and the opposition.
The authorities justified this decision by citing the need to restructure and rationalize the national political space within a broader framework of state-building reforms. However, this initiative has elicited mixed reactions, with some observers viewing it as a move towards authoritarianism. A new legislative framework is currently under development to define Mali’s future political landscape, signifying a definitive break from the previous system.
MD/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA