Mali's junta suspends political party activities until further notice

FILE PHOTO: Supporters of Mali's M5-RFP opposition coalition, gather during a rally to mark a year since the start of protest marches that contributed to the ouster of former President Ibrahim Boubakar Keita at the Independence Square in Bamako, Mali June 4, 2021. REUTERS/Amadou Keita/File Photo

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's junta has issued a decree halting political party activities, government spokesperson Abdoulaye Maiga announced in a statement read on state television on Wednesday evening.

The decree suspends until further notice all activities by political parties and "associations of a political nature" on the grounds of maintaining public order, the statement said.