The Malian transitional government has approved a bill establishing a renewable five-year presidential term for the head of the Transition, aligning with the outcomes of the April 2025 Inter-Malian Dialogue and the governance models adopted by neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso.
The bill, passed by the Council of Ministers on June 11, 2025, revises the Transition Charter to grant the transitional leader presidential status for a renewable term, with no immediate electoral timeline in place.
The government argues that this move is essential for maintaining institutional stability and advancing reforms amid ongoing security challenges, building on the foundations laid by the new Constitution adopted in July 2023.
This approach also reflects the regional alignment within the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), formed in July 2024 by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, following their collective exit from ECOWAS in January 2025. Similar governance arrangements have already been implemented in AES member states: Niger endorsed a renewable five-year term for General Abdourahamane Tiani through a national charter, and Burkina Faso extended Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s leadership following a national dialogue.
Mali’s new legislation will now proceed through the necessary validation phases outlined in the Transition Charter, aiming to secure national consensus and respond to international demands for transparency and inclusiveness.
