By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The military junta that has ruled Mali since coups in 2020 and 2021 has banned political activities nationwide in response to planned demonstrations against the government.
Activities of political parties and other political organisations have been suspended until further notice to preserve public order, the military government said in a statement read on state television on Wednesday.
Political parties are demanding a return to constitutional order and the holding of a presidential election. They had planned to gather for protests on Friday.
A military-backed national conference of political actors last week recommended appointing junta leader Assimi Goïta as President with a five-year term limit.
The conference also proposed the dissolution of all political parties and stricter conditions for the formation of new ones.
In response, a coalition of political parties staged a demonstration on 3 May, arguing that Malians were not adequately represented at the so-called national conference.
Parties were expected to regroup on Friday for further discussions.
The junta initially pledged to hold elections in February 2022 and restore civilian rule, but that timeline has been repeatedly postponed.
Last year, Mali formed an economic and security alliance known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with fellow junta-led neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger.
The country also severed long-standing military ties with France and other Western powers, turning instead to Russia for new partnerships.
In response to the coups, the regional bloc ECOWAS suspended all three countries, which in January jointly announced their withdrawal from the bloc.
