PERSPECTIVE DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS AFTER THE COUP D’ÉTAT Hopes and Challenges in Mali Christian Klatt October 2020 After the military coup of 18 August 2020, Mali is at a cross­roads. Despite a civilian presi­dent, the planned transition period of 18 months will have a clearly military character. International actors must take advantage of the coup as a wake-up call to rethink their engagement in Mali. Europe must move away from a pure focus on security policy in order to stabilise the country in the long term. Hopes after the coup are high, but the challenges are even greater: armed conflicts in the north and the centre and pres­sure for an inclusive process of domestic political reform.