Agenzia Fides REPORT – People are waiting for the appointment of the new President of the transition in Mali. "The mediators of the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) were in Bamako for 5 days, but failed to bring the various parties to agree on appointing a new President of the transition" says to Fides Fr. Edmond Dembele Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Mali. On May 22, the interim period of the government ends, initiated under the agreement reached on April 6 by the military junta (which took power with the coup on 22 March) and by the Malian political parties, with the mediation of ECOWAS. Interim President is Dioncounda Traoré who appointed Cheick Modibo Diarra as Premier (see Fides 18/05/2012).
"The ECOWAS wants Dioncounda Traore to continue to be the President of the transition, but the military junta would like another person," says FR. Dembele. ECOWAS threatened to reintroduce sanctions imposed against the coup on April 2 and then suspended after the agreement on April 6.
"The ECOWAS mediators should be back today in Bamako," says Fr. Dembele to Fides. "Yesterday, the leaders of the junta held a press conference in which they launched a proposal to hold a big meeting with all national social and political forces of the nation to designate the President of the transition. But it seems that the ECOWAS is not favorable to this proposal. Religious Catholic, Protestant and Muslim leaders, continue to mediate to try to find a solution to the crisis, " added the Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Mali.
As for the north of Mali, in the hands of a series of armed groups, Fr. Dembele says that "the State last weekend, along with the High Islamic Council, and an association of citizens from the north that are in Bamako, sent food and medicines to the people of Tomboctou, Gao and Kidal."
In the north the tension for both the divisions between the various armed groups that control the area, and for the people’s impatience against the oppression of Islamists is increasing. "A recent meeting between the armed movements in the north to find a way to manage the region seems to have failed. This is because the groups have different goals: some want to impose the sharia and others who struggle for independence in the north. In Gao the young took to the streets to protest against the imposition of the Sharia law that provides for the prohibition of games (football and cards), music and television."
Previously the destruction of an important Islamic shrine in Tomboctou (the Islamists are in fact iconoclasts) had provoked the protests of local people and Muslim associations: the High Islamic Council has formally condemned this act. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 15/5/2012)
"The ECOWAS wants Dioncounda Traore to continue to be the President of the transition, but the military junta would like another person," says FR. Dembele. ECOWAS threatened to reintroduce sanctions imposed against the coup on April 2 and then suspended after the agreement on April 6.
"The ECOWAS mediators should be back today in Bamako," says Fr. Dembele to Fides. "Yesterday, the leaders of the junta held a press conference in which they launched a proposal to hold a big meeting with all national social and political forces of the nation to designate the President of the transition. But it seems that the ECOWAS is not favorable to this proposal. Religious Catholic, Protestant and Muslim leaders, continue to mediate to try to find a solution to the crisis, " added the Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Mali.
As for the north of Mali, in the hands of a series of armed groups, Fr. Dembele says that "the State last weekend, along with the High Islamic Council, and an association of citizens from the north that are in Bamako, sent food and medicines to the people of Tomboctou, Gao and Kidal."
In the north the tension for both the divisions between the various armed groups that control the area, and for the people’s impatience against the oppression of Islamists is increasing. "A recent meeting between the armed movements in the north to find a way to manage the region seems to have failed. This is because the groups have different goals: some want to impose the sharia and others who struggle for independence in the north. In Gao the young took to the streets to protest against the imposition of the Sharia law that provides for the prohibition of games (football and cards), music and television."
Previously the destruction of an important Islamic shrine in Tomboctou (the Islamists are in fact iconoclasts) had provoked the protests of local people and Muslim associations: the High Islamic Council has formally condemned this act. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 15/5/2012)
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