The national police will once again become a military body and undergo the same training according to proposals from the government, if a new Bill is approved by the National Transitional Council.

In January 1973 the national police became a military body in Mali. In August 1991 18 years later, the national conference held after the fall of General Moussa Traoré, demanded more public liberty. As a result, the police force was demilitarised.

Aboubacar Sidick Fomba a member of the National Transition Council (CNT), believes the demilitarisation of the police and civil protection will harmonise the different bodies. He believes that militarisation will prohibit unionism within the national police. "The police and the military will have the same training, the same bonuses and will have the same advantages. The only difference is that the police and civil protection agents will remain under the Ministry of Security, and the military will remain under the Ministry of Defence. So do not be surprised to see the police carrying certain weapons," he said.

Opposition party Convergence pour le développement du Mali (CODEM) member  Amadou Aya on the other hand, thinks that police and civil protection agents are more useful in other other ways. "The police and civil protection have specific missions. In the Bill, it states that the aim is to have the militarised police protect the areas liberated by the army. In my opinion, the police and civil protection have other missions than the defence of the territory", he said.

Bruno Segbedji, publisher of Mali Horizon newspaper, welcomed the idea but has questions about its funding. "Remuneration and allowances means additional costs to the State. Today, it is no secret the country's cash flow is low so obviously there will be difficulties. Especially since partnerships are declining. In other words, the support of multilateral partners is at a standstill. The project is very ambitious and will be quite costly", he said.

Translated from RFI by Allafrica's Michael Tantoh