Editing Mali (section)

=== 2020s coups and Assimi Goïta junta ===
{{Main|2020 Malian coup d'état|2021 Malian coup d'état}}
{{Seealso|List of terrorist attacks in Mali}}
[[File:Comité national pour le salut du Peuple - 2020 Malian coup d'Etat 2.jpg|thumb|Members of the [[National Committee for the Salvation of the People]], September 2020]]

Popular unrest began on 5 June 2020 following irregularities in the March and April parliamentary elections, including outrage against the kidnapping of opposition leader [[Soumaïla Cissé]].<ref>{{cite news|website=ABC News|date=5 June 2020|access-date=21 August 2020|agency=Associated Press|first=Baba |last=Ahmed |title=Thousands in Mali's capital demand that president step down |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/thousands-malis-capital-demand-president-step-71093627 |archive-date=13 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913072323/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/thousands-malis-capital-demand-president-step-71093627|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=6 October 2020|title=Kidnapped Mali politician and French aid worker freed |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/06/kidnapped-mali-politician-and-french-aid-worker-freed |access-date=30 May 2021|website=the Guardian |archive-date=3 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603113914/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/06/kidnapped-mali-politician-and-french-aid-worker-freed|url-status=live}}</ref> Between 11 and 23 deaths followed protests that took place from 10 to 13 June.<ref name="cnews" /> In July, President Keïta dissolved the constitutional court.

Members of the military led by Colonel [[Assimi Goïta]] and Colonel-Major [[Ismaël Wagué]] in [[Kati, Mali|Kati]], [[Koulikoro Region]], began a mutiny on 18 August 2020.<ref name=cnews>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnews.fr/monde/2020-08-19/tout-comprendre-sur-la-situation-au-mali-990104|title=TOUT COMPRENDRE SUR LA SITUATION AU MALI|date=19 August 2020|access-date=21 August 2020|language=fr|trans-title=Understanding everything about the situation in Mali |website=CNews |archive-date=26 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200826193119/https://www.cnews.fr/monde/2020-08-19/tout-comprendre-sur-la-situation-au-mali-990104|url-status=live}}</ref> President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and Prime Minister [[Boubou Cissé]] were arrested, and shortly after midnight Keïta announced his resignation, saying he did not want to see any bloodshed.<ref name=cnews /> Wagué announced the formation of the [[National Committee for the Salvation of the People]] (CNSP) and promised elections in the future. A curfew was begun and the streets of Bamako were quiet.<ref name=cnews /> The [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS) condemned the coup and demanded that Keïta be reinstated as president.<ref name="neighbours">{{cite web |website=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53848223|date=21 August 2020|access-date=21 August 2020|title=Mali's coup is cheered at home but upsets neighbours |archive-date=21 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821112314/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53848223|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 12 September 2020, the CNSP agreed to an 18-month political transition to civilian rule. Shortly after, [[Bah Ndaw|Bah N'daw]] was named interim president by a group of 17 electors, with Goïta being appointed vice president. The government was inaugurated on 25 September 2020. On 18 January 2021, the transitional government announced that the CNSP had been disbanded, almost four months after had been promised under the initial agreement.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mali: President Bah N'Daw decrees the dissolution of the CNSP |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/62102/mali-president-bah-ndaw-decrees-the-dissolution-of-the-cnsp/ |access-date=2023-09-16 |website=The Africa Report.com |language=en |archive-date=26 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526041635/https://www.theafricareport.com/62102/mali-president-bah-ndaw-decrees-the-dissolution-of-the-cnsp/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Tensions between the civilian transitional government and the military ran high after the handover of power in September 2020. The tensions came to a head on 24 May 2021 after a cabinet reshuffle, where two leaders of the 2020 military coup – [[Sadio Camara]] and [[Modibo Kone]] – were replaced by N'daw's administration.<ref>{{cite web|date=25 May 2021|title=EU condemns 'grave and serious' kidnapping of Mali's leaders|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/24/mali-president-prime-minister-and-defence-minister-arrested-sources-say|access-date=25 May 2021|website=the Guardian |archive-date=25 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525203413/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/24/mali-president-prime-minister-and-defence-minister-arrested-sources-say|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that day, journalists reported that three key civilian leaders – President N'daw, Prime Minister [[Moctar Ouane]] and Defence Minister [[Souleymane Doucouré]], were being detained in a military base in [[Kati, Mali|Kati]], outside Bamako.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mali's military detains president, prime minister|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/24/military-arrest-malis-president-pm-following-govt-reshuffle|access-date=25 May 2021|website=AlJazeera.com |archive-date=25 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525105349/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/24/military-arrest-malis-president-pm-following-govt-reshuffle|url-status=live}}</ref> On 7 June 2021, Mali's military commander Assimi Goïta was sworn into office as the new interim president.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mali's military leader Goita sworn in as transitional president |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/7/assimi-goita-mali-military-leader-sworn-in-as-interim-president |website=AlJazeera.com |access-date=6 April 2022 |archive-date=25 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525194705/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/7/assimi-goita-mali-military-leader-sworn-in-as-interim-president |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:MaliWar.svg|thumb|Military situation in Mali. For a detailed map, see [[Template:Mali War detailed map|here]].]]
In 2022 and 2023, the [[Islamic State in the Greater Sahara]] saw major gains in the [[Mali War]], occupying large swathes of territory in southeastern Mali. [[Ansongo]] and [[Tidermène]] were also captured by the group.<ref name=bbc_africatoday>{{citation | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fgbb9g | publisher=BBC | year=2023 | language=English | title=BBC Africa Today: Islamic State Sahel Province fighters seize commune in Mali | access-date=31 May 2023 | archive-date=11 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511065705/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fgbb9g | url-status=live}}</ref> By mid-2023, the militant group had doubled the amount of territory it controlled since the overthrow of the previous government and establishment of the junta.<ref name=npr>{{citation | url=https://www.npr.org/2023/08/26/1196189708/islamic-state-mali-al-qaida-west-africa-extremist | publisher=NPR | year=2023 | language=English | title=NPR: Islamic State group almost doubled its territory in Mali in under a year, U.N. says | access-date=27 August 2023 | archive-date=27 August 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827063702/https://www.npr.org/2023/08/26/1196189708/islamic-state-mali-al-qaida-west-africa-extremist | url-status=live}}</ref>

On 10 January 2022, Mali announced the closure of its borders and recalled several ambassadors to ECOWAS countries in response to sanctions placed on Mali for deferring elections for four years.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ahmed |first=Baba |date=10 January 2022|title=Mali's junta deplores new sanctions imposed by regional bloc|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Mali-s-junta-deplores-new-sanctions-imposed-by-16763433.php|access-date=10 January 2022|website=SFGate |archive-date=10 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110161440/https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Mali-s-junta-deplores-new-sanctions-imposed-by-16763433.php|url-status=live}}</ref> On 4 February, France's ambassador was expelled.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/5/thousands-in-mali-celebrate-expulsion-of-french-ambassador |title=Thousands in Mali celebrate expulsion of French ambassador &#124; Armed Groups News |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=5 February 2022 |access-date=13 February 2022 |archive-date=7 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207034714/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/5/thousands-in-mali-celebrate-expulsion-of-french-ambassador |url-status=live}}</ref> According to [[Human Rights Watch]], Malian troops and suspected Russian mercenaries from the [[Wagner Group]] executed around 300 civilian men in central Mali in March 2022. France had started withdrawing French troops from Mali in February 2022, commencing the end of [[Operation Barkhane]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Mali troops and suspected Russian fighters accused of massacre |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60997602 |work=BBC News |date=5 April 2022 |access-date=6 April 2022 |archive-date=6 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406192814/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60997602 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 2 May, the military government announced breaking its defence accords concluded in 2013 with France, constituting an additional step in the deterioration of Malian–French relations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mali: Military government breaks defence accords with France |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/3/malis-junta-breaks-off-from-defence-accords-with-france |access-date=10 May 2022 |website=AlJazeera.com |archive-date=9 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509235754/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/3/malis-junta-breaks-off-from-defence-accords-with-france |url-status=live}}</ref> This latest announcement has been criticized by French authorities and considered as "illegitimate".<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 May 2022 |title=Mali: France opposed to Assimi Goïta's junta demanding an end to defence agreements |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/201855/mali-france-opposed-to-assimi-goitas-junta-demanding-an-end-to-defence-agreements/ |access-date=10 May 2022 |website=The Africa Report.com |archive-date=9 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509155505/https://www.theafricareport.com/201855/mali-france-opposed-to-assimi-goitas-junta-demanding-an-end-to-defence-agreements/ |url-status=live}}</ref> A UN panel reported that in the first three months of 2022, 543 civilians were killed and 269 wounded, warning the 2015 peace agreement between the government and pro-independence groups was threatened by a potential risk of confrontation for the first time in five years. The report also noted a sharp increase in the number of people needing humanitarian assistance over the previous year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 August 2022 |title=UN experts: Malian military and 'white' soldiers killed 33 |url=https://news.yahoo.com/un-experts-malian-military-white-015227805.html |access-date=6 August 2022 |website=Yahoo News |archive-date=6 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806021317/https://news.yahoo.com/un-experts-malian-military-white-015227805.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Sergey Lavrov]], the Russian foreign minister, visited Bamako on 7 February 2023 and said that Moscow would continue to help Mali improve its military capabilities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 February 2023 |title=Russian Foreign Minister visits Mali in sign of deepening ties |url=https://www.euronews.com/2023/02/08/russian-foreign-minister-sergei-lavrov-visits-mali-in-sign-of-deepening-ties |access-date=9 February 2023 |website=EuroNews |archive-date=8 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208210854/http://www.euronews.com/2023/02/08/russian-foreign-minister-sergei-lavrov-visits-mali-in-sign-of-deepening-ties |url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2023, Mali removed French, the language of its former colonizer, as an official language with the approval of a new constitution by 97% of voters in [[2023 Malian constitutional referendum|a referendum]] conducted by the junta.<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 August 2023 |title=Mali demotes French, language of its former colonizer, in symbolic move |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/03/mali-french-new-constitution/ |access-date=9 February 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post |archive-date=3 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803234614/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/03/mali-french-new-constitution/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 7 September 2023, al-Qaeda linked [[Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin|JNIM]] militants [[Tombouctou and Bamba attacks|attacked]] a vessel on the [[Niger River]], killing at least 154 civilians.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-01 |title=Mali : Les groupes islamistes armés et l'armée prennent les civils pour cible |url=https://www.hrw.org/fr/news/2023/11/01/mali-les-groupes-islamistes-armes-et-larmee-prennent-les-civils-pour-cible |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214185052/https://www.hrw.org/fr/news/2023/11/01/mali-les-groupes-islamistes-armes-et-larmee-prennent-les-civils-pour-cible |archive-date=14 December 2023 |access-date=2024-01-01 |publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]] |language=fr}}</ref>

In July 2024, [[Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad|CSP-DPA]] rebels and JNIM militants killed dozens of Russian mercenaries and Malian government forces during the [[Battle of Tinzaouaten (2024)|Battle of Tinzaouaten]].<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Darya Tarasova |author2=Tim Lister |author3=Avery Schmitz |date=2024-07-29 |title=Dozens of Russian mercenaries killed in rebel ambush in Mali, in their worst known loss in Africa |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/29/africa/russian-mercenaries-wagner-killed-mali-intl-latam/index.html |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> On 5 August 2024 the Republic of Mali announced that it was severing diplomatic relations with [[Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/mali-announces-severance-of-diplomatic-relations-1722838542.html|title=Mali announces severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine|publisher=[[RBC-Ukraine|РБК]]|date=5 August 2024|accessdate=5 August 2024|archive-date=5 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805181211/https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/mali-announces-severance-of-diplomatic-relations-1722838542.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Was Ukraine's role in big Wagner defeat an own goal in Africa? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78ld18lgr9o |work=BBC News |date=12 August 2024}}</ref>

On 17 September 2024, al-Qaeda linked JNIM militants [[2024 Bamako attacks|attacked several locations]] across [[Bamako]], killing at least 77 people and injuring 255 others.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 17, 2024 |title=Attack by al-Qaeda linked group in Mali killed more than 70 people |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/20/attack-by-al-qaeda-linked-group-in-mali-killed-more-than-70-people |access-date=September 20, 2024 |publisher=[[Al Jazeera English]] |language=en}}</ref>