The military government in Mali has recently approved a new constitution that grants increased powers to the president and the armed forces.

It also introduces a senate and downgrades French from an official language to a working language.

Since 2020, Mali has been under the rule of a junta. The opposition movement has strongly criticized the constitutional reforms, which were reported to have received 97% support in the recent referendum, with a reported turnout of 38%.

Critics of the changes fear that they may enable the military generals to backtrack on their promise of returning power to civilian leaders after the presidential election scheduled for February 2024.

With the new constitution in place, Interim President Col Assimi Goïta now wields significant authority to shape government policies and dissolve parliament.

An attempt to invalidate the referendum results due to the vote not being conducted in all parts of Mali was rejected by the constitutional court. The opposition movement, consisting of political parties and civil society organizations, also claims that "numerous irregularities" and "violations of the law" occurred during the referendum.

The adoption of the new constitution has sparked concerns about its impact on democracy, and many people fear the implications for civilian governance.

The military junta initially gained popular support when it took control after protests against then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta three years ago. However, data indicates limited progress in countering the Islamist insurgency that holds sway in parts of the country.

The Malian government argues that the new constitution will aid in curbing the spread of the 11-year-long jihadist insurgency. The decision to remove all 12,000 UN peacekeepers from the country and the employment of around 1,000 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group for security support further underscore the complexities of the security situation in Mali.

Relations with former colonial power France have also soured, contributing to the evolving dynamics in West Africa.