The president of this country, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, in power since 2013, has presented his resignation and that of his entire government, hours after being arrested in a military coup

Anger takes hold of Mali

photo_camera REUTERS/Luc Gnago - Stock photography. A woman walks with a child in front of riot police officers in Bamako

Chaos and violence have taken over Mali. The president of this country, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, in power since 2013, has presented his resignation and that of his entire government, hours after being arrested in a military coup. This resignation comes at a critical time for the African nation, where since last June a series of mass protests have been taking place, the main slogan of which was Keita's resignation, which was criticised for not being able to tackle the corruption plaguing the country or restore security. 

The Malian leader appeared on state television around midnight to announce that the National Assembly and the government would be dissolved as a result of his departure. "I do not wish more blood to be spilled for keeping me in power," he said during his speech. He and his prime minister, Boubou Cissé, were arrested along with other officials on Tuesday, when the rebels took over some strategic positions such as the defence ministry, the head of the armed forces and the state television station.

The future of this nation - so far unpredictable - depends on a "national committee of public salvation" that was presented this Wednesday by the military who carried out the coup yesterday. The representatives of this newly created institution have announced elections within a "reasonable time" after President Keita's resignation.

Tension has been rife in the country since August 2018, when Keita won re-election in a vote that opposition parties say was marred by a series of irregularities.  The government ignored Malian society and reconvened elections this March despite the outbreak of the coronavirus, increased violence and the kidnapping by armed men of the main opposition leader, Soumaila Cisse. 

The Constitutional Court's decision to annul 31 of the results, giving Keita's party 10 more parliamentary seats and making it the largest bloc, and the executive's inability to tackle corruption or the increase in violence have been at the heart of the protests the country has been suffering since last June. The streets of Bamako, the capital, have been the scene of these demonstrations. However, last Tuesday, the military arrested the president and his prime minister, despite criticism from the international community, forcing the president to resign hours later. IBK, as he is popularly known, implied during his resignation that he had been forced by the military. "Certain elements of the armed forces have concluded that this should end with their intervention," he said. 

MALIK KONATE / AFP - Soldados de Mali celebran el golpe de Estado llevado adelante contra el presidente

Mali has struggled to regain stability since 2012, when rebels and jihadists took over parts of the north of the country, prompting France and other members of the international community to step up their intervention in the area. Despite the international presence, attacks have increased in recent months, further exacerbating the political and social crisis facing this West African nation. 

Corruption, the endemic evil that plagues Mali

In this spiral of uncertainty, the opposition has repeatedly accused Keita and his government of cronyism, as explained by the Reuters news agency, which has cited the example of his son Karim Keita, who resigned as chairman of Parliament's Defence and Security Committee last June. In addition, the country's economy, which is mainly dependent on gold and cotton, has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the growing insurgency. This situation led thousands of people, led by a coalition of politicians, civil society leaders and a popular magnet, to take to the streets to demand Keita's resignation. 

Since these demonstrations began, there have been clashes between the protesters and the African country's security forces. However, these protests intensified after the security forces fired and killed at least eleven demonstrators. The instability that has plagued the country reached its peak on Tuesday, when one of Keïta's former bodyguards, Ali "Banou" Mariko, confirmed the president's arrest. "We have just arrested the president of the republic along with his prime minister Boubou Cissé and his campaign assistant," he said, according to statements collected by The New York Times which later reported that the two leaders were transferred to a military camp in Kati. 

Mediation attempts fail

The Sahel region - mainly Burkina Faso and Niger - has been greatly affected by the consequences of this social and political crisis. The United States and France have intensified their presence in this area in recent years. The American nation has deployed more than 1,400 soldiers in the Sahel region, including special operations troops. France, for its part, has more than 5,000 soldiers and multiple bases in this area. Despite its intervention, attacks have been taking place in recent months.  

In June, the heads of state of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana and Niger visited Bamako with the aim of solving the political and social problems that the country is going through. At this meeting they drew up a plan calling for the rapid appointment of a new Constitutional Court to resolve the dispute over the legislative elections (denounced by the opposition as a real fraud), as well as the formation of an Executive of national unity. 

These proposals have become a dead letter, while social unrest resulting from President Keita's mismanagement has only increased. Attempts at mediation by regional leaders have not succeeded in putting an end to this protest movement or in finding a peaceful solution to the crisis the country is suffering from. 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned the riot in a statement on Tuesday. In the same vein, the union of West African nations, Ecowas, called for sanctions against the coup plotters and announced that it would send a delegation to Mali. UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, also took a stand on this conflict and asked for the release of the detainees, something that was also done by Peter Pham, US special envoy for the Sahel region, who used the social network Twitter to say that "the United States is opposed to any change in the extra-constitutional government, either by those in the streets or the defence and security forces". In Bamako, things look different. "No one can take this country hostage. It's over for this rotten, incompetent regime," said Sidy Tamboura, general secretary of the national police union, according to the NYT. 

Mali, victim of insurgency and poverty 

Mali, like other Sahel states, has a number of characteristics that have favoured the spread of the insurgency.  These include the difficulty of controlling the borders due to their extension, the endemic poverty of the population and the absence of basic services.  On the other hand, the perpetuation and primacy of tribal social structures over those of the States themselves and the policy of marriage diplomacy with family alliances between the amirs of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the heads of Tuareg tribes has facilitated the emergence of terrorist groups in the region. 

In this scenario, the negative impact of external conflicts in the region, as in the case of Libya, the struggle for the control of strategic natural resources, the limited capacity of the armed forces of the Sahelian States to provide security and control of the entire territory, and the ease with which the population can acquire small arms and light weapons have favoured the permanence of terrorist groups in the area. ​​​​​​​

This situation has concerned the international community, which has warned that groups linked to Al Qaeda or Daesh have used this region as a launching pad for attacks in neighbouring countries, such as Niger or Burkina Faso. In addition, European leaders are concerned that the instability in Mali could lead to the forced displacement of more people, causing a new wave of migrants, according to several European media. 

Nor should it be forgotten that Mali is a semi-arid zone in which its inhabitants have historically had to deal with poor soil fertility, as well as extreme climatic conditions that have led to scarce water resources. The floods and droughts that plague this area also increase local conflicts between farmers and cattle breeders over land and water.  Furthermore, this area is one of the most environmentally degraded regions in the world, with forecasts of a rise in temperature over the next few years, which could further exacerbate the economic crisis that the country, which is dependent on raw materials, is experiencing. 

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