Mali’s ruling junta issued a decree suspending all political activities until further notice late on Wednesday, citing a need to preserve public order

Mali’s ruling junta issued a decree suspending all political activities until further notice late on Wednesday, citing a need to preserve public order, a move that follows last year’s decision to call off elections indefinitely.

Junta spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga read out the statement on state television in the evening, while the country was celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking end of the holy month of Ramadan in which observant Muslims fast from dawn until dusk.

Mali has experienced two coups since 2020, setting off a wave of political instability that has swept across West and Central Africa. The country has battled a worsening insurgency by jihadi groups linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group for over a decade.

Col. Assimi Goita, who took charge after a second coup in 2021, promised to return the country to democracy in early 2024. But in September, the junta canceled elections scheduled for February 2024 indefinitely, citing the need for further technical preparations.

Mali previously relied on French troops to help push back the insurgents. Amid growing frustration over the lack of progress, the ruling junta ordered French troops out and turned to Russian contractors instead for security support. The last French forces departed in August 2022 after almost a decade of operations in Mali.