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DAKAR - Mali's constitutional court has declared itself "incompetent" to examine a case calling for the military junta's suspension of political party activity to be annulled.

In a document seen by AFP on Saturday, the court also ruled "inadmissible" a request from associations for magistrates and prosecutors to find that Mali was in a legal and "institutional vacuum" and to set up a roadmap back to elections.

Both court rulings were dated on Thursday.

The West African nation has been ruled by juntas since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, with the worsening security situation aggravated by armed jihadist and separatist groups.

Junta chief Colonel Assimi Goita this month issued a decree suspending the activities of political parties and banning media coverage of the parties in the name of maintaining public order.

The restrictions were imposed after the regime failed to keep a pledge to hand over to a civilian government by March 26.

Under pressure from the regional bloc ECOWAS, the junta had promised to organise presidential elections in February.

The constitutional court said the case against the presidential decree suspending political activity fell under the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.

On the constitutional vacuum, the court said it had not been asked by the two relevant institutions -- prime minister and speaker of parliament -- to rule on the question.

Mali has since 2012 been ravaged by different factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as by self-declared, self-defence forces and bandits.

Since overthrowing President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020, the junta in Bamako has undertaken a strategic reorientation, breaking off a long alliance with former colonial power France and fostering closer military and political ties with Russia.