Authoritarian regimes, after methodically silencing dissenting voices, shuttering independent media, and casting a heavy shroud over freedom of expression, consistently encounter a formidable obstacle: the economic independence of their citizens. It’s a historical constant for dictatorships: to achieve complete control over a population, one must not only manage their thoughts but also dictate what they consume and how they earn their living.

Mali’s military transition government now starkly illustrates this predictable trajectory. Under the guise of an appealing administrative initiative – the high-profile signing of a “Charter for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)” – the regime is advancing to a new stage. What official narratives portray as a supportive hand to “structure” the private sector, in reality, appears to be a calculated political maneuver to seize control over entrepreneurial freedom.

Economic control: the final pillar of authoritarianism

In a nation where the informal economy sustains over 90% of the population and serves as the primary lifeline for youth and women, this sudden drive for regulation is far from innocuous. Within any dictatorial system, the informal sector is perceived as a threat: by its very nature, it evades state surveillance, official registries, and thus, direct governmental control.

By seeking to label, classify, and subject small traders, artisans, and transporters to new state-imposed criteria, the authorities are not aiming to simplify business operations but rather to expand their pervasive influence. In a context where financial institutions and public assistance mechanisms are increasingly subservient to the ruling power, this charter lays the groundwork for a formidable tool of clientelism. Moving forward, access to credit, public contracts, or even the legal right to operate, risks becoming contingent upon political allegiance or silence in the face of the regime’s excesses.

Funding and electricity: the true challenges overlooked

Official rhetoric claims to address the energy and financial crises suffocating Mali’s economic fabric. Yet, the reality on the ground contradicts this superficial concern. According to World Bank data, nearly 40% of the country’s formal businesses identify access to credit and chronic electricity outages as their primary impediments. These are critical issues for African current affairs and economic development.

Neither charters nor elaborate ceremonies at the National Council of Employers will power generators or reduce interest rates. By diverting attention to a new regulatory framework instead of addressing failing infrastructure, the authorities mask their own inability to provide the fundamental services essential for economic vitality.

One freedom never exists without the other

The history of autocratic regimes consistently demonstrates that no impermeable barrier exists between different forms of freedom. Political liberties cannot be confiscated without eventually encroaching upon economic freedoms.

By stifling freedom of expression, the government ensured that entrepreneurs burdened by taxes or power cuts could no longer publicly protest. Today, by attacking the freedom to undertake business under the pretext of “structuring,” the Malian regime attempts to close the last remaining avenue of autonomy for citizens: the ability to provide for their needs without depending on the whims of the military in power. Such economic centralization, in other contexts across African governance, has invariably led to impoverishment and the collapse of private initiatives.

By Mariama Hamani — Analyst