BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s army authorities paid a remaining tribute Friday to former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who died lower than 18 months after being overthrown in a coup and because the junta that ousted him faces rising worldwide isolation over election delays.
Amongst these attending Keita’s state-like funeral was Malian Prime Minister Choguel Kokala Maiga, a civilian chief within the authorities nonetheless led by the person behind the August 2020 coup, Col. Assimi Goita.
Some feared that new regional sanctions blocking flights to Mali would restrict the variety of heads of state who may present up for the funeral. A consultant from neighboring Guinea, which can also be led by a army junta, was the one international official introduced on the ceremony.
Keita, who was identified to Malians by his initials IBK and died at age 76, was final seen talking on state tv below duress after mutinous troopers had encircled his dwelling and fired photographs within the air. He resigned as president, saying he didn’t need blood to be shed to maintain him in energy.
Since his resignation, Keita had sought medical remedy overseas, based on aides. Mali’s army authorities launched an announcement saying solely that his dying got here after an extended sickness.
Amadou Koita, who held two ministerial posts throughout Keita’s 2013-2020 presidency, remembered the late chief Friday as “a beneficiant man who by no means ran out of concepts.”
“It was IBK who promoted the legislation on gender, granting 30% of positions within the Malian administration to girls,” he stated.
Keita, 76, first got here to energy within the aftermath of a 2012 coup, successful a historic election the next 12 months after the French-led army operation to oust Islamic extremists from management of the main cities in northern Mali.
He was fashionable with France and different Western allies however confronted rising opposition inside Mali throughout his second time period in workplace particularly after disputed legislative elections in early 2020. Demonstrations introduced tens of 1000's of individuals into the streets within the months main as much as his overthrow.
Keita’s reputation additionally took successful from Islamic insurgents, who considerably expanded into central Mali throughout his years in energy, exacerbating regional ethnic tensions. The Malian army suffered a lethal wave of assaults in 2019, prompting the federal government to shut its most weak outposts.
Coup chief Goita staged a second coup final 12 months and made himself president. He created extra uncertainty in current weeks by quickly blocking all arriving flights, even U.N. peacekeeping plans, after Mali was hit with powerful regional financial sanctions for failing to arrange new elections by the tip of February as as soon as promised.,
Goita has stated his authorities continues to be open to negotiations. However he insists that the safety state of affairs in Mali is not going to enable for a vote anytime quickly and the following presidential election will likely be in 2024. That successfully would depart the army junta in management for greater than six years.
___ Larson reported from Dakar, Senegal contributed.