Prominent Malian opposition figures in exile have announced the formation of the Coalition of Forces for the Republic, describing resistance as a national duty in the face of what they call the most severe crisis in the country’s modern history.
The announcement came through a statement by the new coalition, which includes notable personalities such as religious leader Mahmoud Dicko, who has been based in Algeria since December 2023.
The coalition’s stated goals include launching an inclusive national dialogue with armed groups, ending what it describes as “massacres of civilians and soldiers,” and restoring fundamental freedoms as a prelude to an 18-month transitional period.
In its assessment of the current situation, the coalition denounced the “weakness of the state,” the “suffering of the population,” and the “corruption of institutions,” arguing that “the country’s sovereignty has been hijacked by an unholy alliance of economic plunder and militarization.”
The coalition’s spokesperson is economist Étienne Fakaba Sissoko, who was previously imprisoned under the current military government.
The group also brings together civil society figures and former members of dissolved political parties.
