MALI - Uncertain elections and persistent security challenges Spécial

Source : Sahel weather

Download the full Sahel weather report 

In Mali, the ruling junta is facing an angry opposition after the authorities announced that they were postponing the organization of a presidential election. Officially, the transition was supposed to end on March 26, but the Malian authorities put the restoration of security ahead of the elections. This was all it took for the opposition to demonstrate their discontent, even accusing the current government of trying to maintain its power by force. This climate of protest was brought to an abrupt halt by the junta's suspension of all political activities until further notice, and the dissolution of a coordination of parties and organizations critical of the junta. Feeling unjustly wronged, political parties and civil society organizations lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court, calling for the decree suspending political activities to be annulled. The Constitutional Court declared itself "incompetent" to hear the case.

In addition to the tense political climate, the authorities are also facing serious accusations of murder and cattle rustling in several villages in the Diankabou commune in central Mali. According to local notables and residents, joined by independent journalists, 18 to 21 people, including children, have been summarily slaughtered by the army and its Wagner auxiliaries. In addition to these atrocities, they are accused of having stolen at least 400 head of cattle, an accusation rejected by the security source, who claims that these animals are the subject of a dispute and that the governor of the region is in the process of identifying the real owners.

While the politicians squabble, the jihadists continue their misdeeds. No fewer than 110 civilians were held by suspected jihadists for more than 8 days in the center of the country, before some were freed. These kidnappings have not been claimed, but many local sources attribute them to the Macina Liberation Front (FLM), which has several similar abductions to its credit.