Mali: Five Things to Know About Mali's Coup

analysis

Washington, DC — The current crisis shows the importance of investing in rule of law and governance in times of peace, and during conflict.

On August 18, an argument over promotions at a military base outside of Bamako was the final spark that caused rising tensions to boil over into a mutiny. By midnight, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his resignation on the state-run television network. This dramatic chain of events followed three months of protests. Since June, tens of thousands of Malians have hit the streets to call for Keita's resignation, and the dissolution of the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court. As the country grapples with an intractable insurgency and eight years of instability, anger over the government's failure to resolve conflict, respect democratic norms, and provide basic services pushed citizens and the military to their boiling point. Instability in Mali has already led to destabilization in the Sahel, a region in West Africa with a host of interconnected challenges increasingly exploited by terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaida. What comes next in Mali over the coming months could have significant implications for the country's democracy and on the stability of the entire region.   Malian soldiers patrol an airbase in Bamako, Mali, Jan. 16, 2013. (Marco Gualazzini/The New York Times)

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