Mali: Pro-junta demonstration planned in Bamako September 15

Event

Demonstrators supporting the ruling military junta, the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), are planning to gather in Bamako on Tuesday, September 15. The attendees, affiliated with the Mouvement Populaire du 4 Septembre (MP4) group, will gather at the Monument de l'Independence from 14:00 (local time). The event coincides with the deadline set by members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the Malian junta to appoint a civilian president and prime minister to lead a transitional government.

Further demonstrations and counter-demonstrations are to be expected in the coming days and weeks, and violent unrest cannot be ruled out.

Context

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his resignation, as well as the dissolution of the National Assembly, around midnight on August 18, during a televised appearance. The announcement came following the detainment of the President and other government officials on the afternoon of August 18 during a military coup. The junta is in talks with the opposition and civil society groups about a transition to civilian rule, and reports indicate that the junta intends to rule for 18 months before transitioning; however, ECOWAS members have called for a quicker transition. The junta also announced that a member of the military may become the interim president. 

Advice

Those in Bamako are advised to monitor developments, heed any directives issued by local authorities, and maintain a heightened sense of situational awareness.