Mali’s opposition rejected an offer to meet with President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita aimed at ending a months-long political crisis in the country, reported Africa News.
Mali is currently in the grip of a deep political impasse between President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and a strident opposition movement insisting on his resignation over doubts about local election results and perceived government corruption and incompetence. Tensions escalated in July when police shot and killed at least 11 demonstrators.
The meeting between the opposition and President Keita was proposed by Nigeria’s former-president Goodluck Jonathan, who is chief international mediator in the crisis. He suggested about the meeting before the scheduled end of his latest trip to the Sahel state on Thursday.
Jonathan had arrived in Mali’s capital Bamako on Monday amid the anti-Keita protests. His meeting with the government and the opposition has yet again not yielded desired results. He had previously led a mediation mission to the country in July.
In a statement, the members of the June 5 Movement said it is not ready to meet the 75-year-old Keita while its “activists are subject to a manhunt by the regime’s repressive forces”.
“Today, there is unspeakable repression followed by hasty judgments that we cannot accept. Today there are political detainees from our ranks and we do not intend to enter into any discussion until they are released outright. No provisional release, but a definitive release.” Mountaga Tall, leader of the June 5 Movement told journalists Thursday.
Considering the worsening situation in Mali, the 15 member regional bloc ECOWAS had put forward a couple of proposals before the opposition. But the so-called “June 5 Movement” consisting of key opposition and religious leaders in the country have continued to reject ECOWAS proposals and insist on President Keita’s resignation.
Earlier this week, the security forced had used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who gathered in large numbers in Independence Square in the capital.
