Mali Coup Makers Launch New Round of Transition Talks

[Mali Military Coup]
Al Jazeera: “The talks mark the second round of discussions between the officers who last month overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and civilian representatives, many of whom had campaigned fiercely for him to step down during weeks of protests.”
Photo: YouTube

Mali’s military rulers have launched a three-day “national consultation” with political parties, unions and members of civil society groups, facing questions at home and pressure from abroad over their plans for returning the country to civilian rule.

About 500 people were expected to attend Thursday’s forum taking place at a conference centre in the capital, Bamako.

The talks mark the second round of discussions between the officers who last month overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and civilian representatives, many of whom had campaigned fiercely for him to step down during weeks of protests against the country’s economic woes and spiralling security crisis.

At stake is how the military government intends to make good on its promise, made just hours after the August 18 coup, to restore civilian governance and stage elections within a “reasonable” timeframe.

Approximately 100 supporters of the M5-RFP, the anti-Keita alliance which led the protests against him, clashed with police at the entrance to the conference centre, delaying the start of Thursday’s talks.

Read the rest of this story: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/coup-makers-launch-transition-talks-mali-actors-200910111412409.html