When authoritarian regimes systematically silence dissent and shutter independent media, they inevitably face an equally critical challenge: the economic independence of their citizens. The pattern is clear in historical dictatorships—total control requires not only dominating thought but also dictating how people survive and earn a living.
Mali’s military-led transition has just taken this predictable turn. Under the guise of a flashy administrative initiative—a grandly announced Charter for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)—the regime has crossed another red line. What officials tout as a bold step to ‘organize’ the private sector is, in truth, a calculated move to tighten political control over economic freedom.
Closing the last loophole: economic control as the final pillar of autocracy
In a nation where over 90% of the population relies on the informal economy—particularly youth and women—this sudden push for formalization is far from neutral. In every dictatorship, the informal sector is a thorn in the side: it operates beyond state records, invisible to official monitoring, and thus beyond direct state interference.
By forcing small traders, artisans, and transporters into new state-defined categories and criteria, the government isn’t streamlining business—it’s extending its reach. With financial institutions and public aid programs now firmly under regime control, the charter paves the way for a dangerous system of favoritism. Soon, access to loans, public contracts, or even the legal right to operate may hinge on political loyalty or compliance with the regime’s abuses.
The real crises ignored: finance and power cuts that strangle businesses
Officials claim this charter responds to the energy and financial crises crippling Mali’s economy. But real-world evidence tells a different story. World Bank data shows nearly 40% of registered businesses cite credit access and chronic power outages as their top killers.
No charter or speech at the National Employers’ Council will fire up generators or lower interest rates. By prioritizing new regulations over fixing crumbling infrastructure, authorities distract from their own failure to provide the most basic economic lifelines.
Freedom and autonomy cannot be siloed
History shows authoritarian regimes cannot compartmentalize freedoms. Stifling political voice inevitably leads to suffocating economic choice.
Having gagged free speech, the regime now ensures that entrepreneurs crushed by taxes or blackouts cannot voice their grievances in public. Today, by targeting economic freedom under the pretext of ‘structuring’ the private sector, Mali’s military rulers are sealing the last escape route for citizens: the ability to sustain themselves without begging favors from those in power. Centralized control, a model that has led to ruin elsewhere, now threatens to suffocate private initiative in Mali.
