Mali: When General Assimi Goïta opts for sovereign reconciliation, without foreign interference
As part of a clear drive for sovereignty and national assertion, Mali’s Transitional President, General Assimi Goïta, officially received on Tuesday the draft of the National Charter for Peace and Reconciliation, the result of six months of nationwide consultations. Presented as a decisive milestone in the pursuit of lasting peace, the charter also represents a sharp break from previous diplomatic practices.
On this occasion, the Malian Head of State firmly rejected Algeria’s proposed mediation, accusing the country of pursuing foreign interests at the expense of the Malian people. According to him, external interference—particularly from Algeria—has weakened the state, fueled intercommunal tensions, and undermined genuine prospects for national reconciliation.
Assimi Goïta recalled several past agreements brokered under Algeria’s leadership, including the Tamanrasset Accord (1991), the National Pact (1992), as well as the Algiers Agreements of 2006 and 2015. In his view, these initiatives were not implemented in the interests of Malians, but rather served regional influence strategies and political alignments.
“The agreements reached up to now have not been in the interest of Malians, nor of peace and harmony in Mali. These agreements have run their course and no longer serve peace today,” he stated, reaffirming that any foreign involvement in a national crisis inevitably distorts its resolution.
This new political orientation reflects General Assimi Goïta’s strong determination to make the Malian people the primary architects of their own peace, free from external pressure or influence. The draft National Charter for Peace is thus presented as a homegrown response, grounded in local realities, the needs of the population, and a vision for durable stability built from within.
By now excluding all foreign mediation, Mali asserts its sovereign right to decide its own future—a move widely praised by many citizens as an act of political courage and proud patriotism.
