BAMAKO (MALI) – Police in the Malian capital of Bamako fired tear gas to disperse protesters on Thursday seeking civilian rule.
As many as 100 supporters of the M5-RFP coalition, which had undertaken months of mass protests against ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, clashed with policemen at the venue of the conference centre where talks about the political future of the country are going on.
While the junta which deposed Keita want the transitional government to be led by the military, the coalition and regional leaders are demanding civilian rule.
“They are trying to confiscate our revolution from us, we were very clear from the start. We want a civilian as president of the transition, not a soldier,” said Bakary Keita, a senior member of M5-RFP.
Western countries fear that the instability in Mali could affect the fight of West African countries against Islamist militants linked to the al Qaeda and Islamic State.
The talks involving the junta, political parties and civil society groups are trying to iron out a number of issues such as length of the transition and the members of the governing bodies.