State in Mali

The Constitution of 22 July 2023 establishes the Republic of Mali and recognizes rights including education, work, housing, health, social protection, food, water, property, religion, expression, press, access to information, movement, association, assembly, strike and enterprise, subject to the law. It also sets duties such as respecting the Constitution, defending the country, responding to lawful mobilization from the age of 18, protecting the environment, helping during disasters, paying taxes, serving the common good, protecting public property and maintaining integrity in public service. National languages are official languages, while French is the working language. The revised Charte de la Transition of 8 July 2025 supplements the Constitution. Assimi GOITA serves as President of the Transition and Head of State. His term lasts five years and may be renewed as often as necessary until pacification; it may be shortened if the conditions for a transparent and peaceful presidential election are met. The transition ends with a presidential election, the oath of office and the transfer of power. If the Charter conflicts with the Constitution, the Constitution prevails. Transition institutions remain in place until new constitutional institutions are established. The formal institutional framework includes the President, Government, Parliament, Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Court of Accounts, and Economic, Social, Environmental and Cultural Council. The operational transition framework currently consists of the President, Prime Minister, Government and Conseil national de Transition (CNT), which has 147 members and performs the legislative function of the transition. The formal two-chamber structure should not be treated as fully operational while some constitutional bodies have not yet been established. State administration serves the general interest through legality, equality, impartiality, neutrality, continuity, ethics and probity. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, the Direction Générale de l’Administration du Territoire (DGAT), governors, prefects, sub-prefects, local councils and central or decentralized services divide responsibilities. A person may begin with a commune, the District of Bamako or an arrondissement, then contact a cercle or regional service and, where necessary, a ministry or central administration. A cercle remains an administrative reference after the reform and is no longer a separate territorial local authority. Mali has 19 administrative regions and the District of Bamako. Decentralization gives communes, whether urban or rural, legal personality and financial autonomy through elected councils. Deconcentration represents the State in the regions and other administrative districts. Traditional authorities are legally recognized for conflict prevention, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence, but their role does not replace the legal powers of public authorities. Infrastructure, insecurity and the density of services make practical access unequal between areas. Public finance operates under the Organic Law on Finance Laws of 15 August 2025. Each year’s Finance Law covers the general budget, annex budgets and special Treasury accounts. The 2026 Finance Law recorded planned revenue of FCFA 3,057.792 billion and expenditure of FCFA 3,578.217 billion. An official draft supplementary finance law dated 3 July 2026 proposed revenue of FCFA 3,372.895 billion and expenditure of FCFA 3,993.319 billion, including additional revenue linked partly to the ad valorem tax and mining funds and additional spending mainly for territorial security. Mali has no single fee for access to the State; each service applies its own tariff, tax or fee rule, and processing times depend on the service and location. Oversight is divided among several bodies. The Constitutional Court reviews norms, protects constitutional rights and settles conflicts between institutions. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body. The Court of Accounts is the constitutional supreme financial court and audits public accounts, unlawful handling of public funds, management errors and asset declarations. In practice, the Section des Comptes of the Supreme Court continues to produce financial and annual execution reports. The independent Bureau du Vérificateur Général (BVG) conducts financial, compliance and performance reviews and may refer matters to the courts. The Office central de lutte contre l’enrichissement illicite (OCLEI) prevents and investigates illicit enrichment and handles asset declarations. The Médiateur de la République offers an independent complaint channel for disputes with the State, territorial authorities, public institutions and public-service bodies. The Constitution protects press freedom, access to information, expression, association and assembly within legal limits. The Haute Autorité de la Communication (HAC) regulates media, licenses services and supervises the press, online and audiovisual sectors, including non-criminal sanctions. Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision du Mali (ORTM) is the public broadcaster. The Autorité de Protection des Données à caractère Personnel (APDP) deals with personal-data protection, and the Autorité Malienne de Régulation des Télécommunications, des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication et des Postes (AMRTP) regulates telecommunications and related services. On 13 May 2025, all political parties and political organizations were dissolved nationwide, political activity by those organizations was prohibited, and the parties charter and opposition statute were repealed; this does not merge media regulation or administrative access with election administration. The President is supreme commander of the Forces Armées et de Sécurité. These forces protect territorial integrity, people and property, public order and legal enforcement, and may support development and environmental protection. They are constitutionally republican and apolitical and remain under civilian political authority. The main components are the Malian Armed Forces, known as FAMa, the National Police, the National Gendarmerie, the National Guard and Civil Protection. The Gendarmerie performs administrative and judicial police functions, public security, institutional protection and territorial defense. Civil Protection prepares for risks, conducts rescue work and responds to disasters. A 2026 reform concerns national defense and security procurement, and the Alliance des États du Sahel Defence and Security Protocol was ratified on 6 May 2026. The MINUSMA mandate ended in 2023. Citizens and residents can use public bodies according to the applicable service law and eligibility rules. Public authorities must act lawfully, equally, impartially, neutrally and continuously, but practical access and timing remain service-specific. A written complaint to the Médiateur de la République can address administrative malfunction, while suspected corruption or unexplained wealth may be reported through the competent oversight bodies.