Republic of Mali, with a population of 18 million has elected Ibrahim Boubacar Keita as it’s president for a second five-year term winning by lanslide against oppostion rival Soumaila Cisse, the government announced on Thursday. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita won 67 percent of the vote in an election marred by militant attacks, claims of fraud by the opposition and a voter turnout of just 2.7 million people.
Mali is plauged with Islamist and ethnic massacre in the center and north of the country, an issue that’s worsened in months leading up to the election regardless of the presence of a United Nations peacekeeping force and French troops. Mali is also a main transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe via North Africa’s shores, a concern for European countries.
A crowd of about 200 people danced and sang inside Keita’s campaign headquarters after the result was announced on state television, AfricanNews reports.
I am very happy, there is nothing to say, the gap is huge, the opposition must understand that there is no match. He has another five years, he will make Mali an emerging country. – said Tambours Adizatou Sogoba, a Keita supporter.
Cisse supporters on the other hand were not not happy with the result, they feel the election was riged in favour of Keita. A few hundred meters away at the headquarters of opposition leader Cisse, about 40 supporters carryied placards reading “hands off my vote” and “respect the Malian vote”. “We will take to the streets and reclaim our victory, the victory of the Malian people,” said Yeri Bocoum, a Cisse supporter.
Tiebele Drame, Cisse’s campaign manager, said: “The result does not reflect the truth of the polls, it does not reflect the Malian vote”. But Keita’s campaign manager, Bocary Treta, said: “It is a victory for the Malian people. International observers were stationed all over and they paid tribute to the quality of the vote.”
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 60 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the United Nations. In the past three years, attacks by jihadists with links to Islamic State and al Qaeda have tripled in Mali and violent deaths doubled, according to the civil society website Malilink. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has his work cut-out for him in boosting economy which depends on it’s gold & cotton exports, while imrpoving the security of the country.
