Mali’s Prime Minister Choguel Maïga was dismissed on Wednesday, November 20, following a decree read on national television by the Secretary-General of the Presidency, Alfouseyni Diawara. The decree, signed by transitional President Assimi Goïta, officially removed Maïga from his position.
Maïga, appointed in 2021 after Mali’s second coup in a year, had publicly criticized the ruling junta on November 16, during ceremonies marking the recapture of Kidal. He expressed frustration over being sidelined from key decision-making, particularly regarding the timeline for Mali’s political transition.
His comments sparked widespread protests in the capital, Bamako, and other cities, with demonstrators calling for his resignation. A faction of the Malian military, known as the Collective of Military Defense (CDM), accused Maïga of “treason” and “denunciation” following his criticism of the country’s military leaders.