BAMAKO (MALI) – The opposition coalition in the West African country of Mali said security troops have detained two leaders of anti-government protests and conducted raids in its headquarters on Saturday. This comes after violent demonstrations against the president in the capital city.
Amid mounting tensions, protesters erected barricades out of tyres and wood to block traffic in several districts. The number of protesters were well below the thousands who took to the streets and occupied buildings on Friday.
The protests came after the coalition spurned offers President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resolve a political standoff that followed a disputed legislative poll in March.
The opposition coalition M5-RFP said senior leaders Choguel Kokala Maiga and Mountaga Tall were detained along with other activists on Saturday. Another leader Issa Kaou Djim was arrested on Friday.
Security forces “came and attacked and ransacked our headquarters,” M5-RFP spokesman Nouhoum Togo said.
Late on Saturday, Keita came out with a concession to the opposition by withdrawing the proposed appointments to the constitutional court and said he was open to discussions.
Referring to the protests, he said: “All tolerable limits were reached and surpassed.”
Police on Friday fired gunshots and tear gas to disperse protesters who laid siege to parliament and the national broadcaster as part of a civil disobedience movement to force Keita to step down. They blame him for not resolving Mali’s security and economic issues.
Neighbouring countries and outside powers fear that the rising tensions could further destabilise Mali and throw into disarray a joint military campaign against Islamic hardliners in the West African Sahel region.
On Friday, three protesters were killed and several others suffered injuries, said the United Nations MINUSMA peacekeeping mission in Mali.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field