After systematically silencing dissent, shutting down independent media outlets, and suppressing freedom of speech, authoritarian systems inevitably face a final hurdle: the financial independence of their citizens. History shows that to achieve total dominance, a regime must control not only what people think but also how they earn their living and provide for their families.
The current military transition in Mali is now demonstrating this predictable shift. Under the guise of a sophisticated administrative move—the high-profile signing of a “Charter for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MPME)”—the government is entering a new phase. While official propaganda paints this as a supportive hand extended to “organize” the private sector, it is actually a political takeover of the right to conduct business freely.
Economic oversight as a tool for control
In a nation where the informal economy supports over 90% of the population and serves as the primary lifeline for youth and women, this sudden urge for regulation is far from innocent. In any dictatorial framework, the informal sector is viewed as a threat because it operates outside of state surveillance, registration, and direct influence.
By attempting to label, classify, and subject small-scale traders, artisans, and transporters to new state-defined criteria, the authorities are not trying to simplify business. Instead, they are extending their reach. With financial institutions and public aid mechanisms now closely aligned with the current leadership, this charter creates a foundation for political clientelism. In the near future, access to credit, government contracts, or even the legal right to operate may hinge on political loyalty or remaining silent about the regime’s actions.
Ignoring the crisis of electricity and financing
Official rhetoric claims to address the energy and financial crises currently strangling Mali‘s economic landscape. However, the situation on the ground tells a different story. Data indicates that nearly 40% of formal businesses in the country identify lack of credit and chronic power outages as their biggest obstacles to survival.
New regulations and ceremonies at the National Employers’ Council will not fix broken generators or lower interest rates. By focusing public attention on a new regulatory framework rather than on crumbling infrastructure, the authorities are masking their inability to provide the basic services essential for economic life.
The link between political and economic liberty
The history of autocratic rule proves that freedoms are interconnected. It is impossible to strip away political rights without eventually seizing economic ones. By stifling free expression, the government ensured that entrepreneurs burdened by heavy taxes or blackouts could no longer voice their grievances publicly.
Today, by targeting the freedom to innovate under the pretext of “structuring,” the regime in Mali is attempting to close the last remaining gap of autonomy: the ability of citizens to survive without depending on the approval of the military leadership. This economic centralization is a path that has historically led to widespread poverty and the collapse of private initiative.
