Credit: Wikipedia /  Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta has resigned after a military mutiny that has plunged the west African nation in to political chaos.  Early Tuesday before the surprise announcement on Wednesday,  President Keïta and Prime Minister Boubou Cissé were arrested and taken to a military camp near the capital Bamako. 

“Today, certain parts of the military have decided that intervention was necessary. Do I really have a choice? Because I do not wish blood to be shed,” -Keita said in a statement broadcast on national television. 

Anti-government protesters have been holding massive protests calling on President Keïta to resign during the past months. Protesters accused Keïta of stealing a parliamentary election in March and installing his own candidates .  Last month, Mali’s opposition rejected an ECOWAS call to joint a unity government to end the political crisis. The opposition is distrustful of ECOWAS ability to end the crisis allowing them meaningful influence in the government.  Opposition blames Keita for failing to tackle corruption, an economy on the brink of collapse amid COVID-19, and the country’s eight-year-long jihadist conflict. Last month, the U.N. Human Rights Office called calling for an investigation into use of deadly violence by an elite counter-terrorism force in Mali against anti-government protestors leaving 14 persons killed.