AFRICA/MALI - The challenges of the new leadership: National reconciliation, fight against corruption, the re-launch of economy

Friday, 6 September 2013

Bamako (Agenzia Fides ) - "The first problem that the President, the Prime Minister and the government will have to face in the next few days is that of reconciliation and national unity", says Fr. Edmond Dembele, Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Mali, in the aftermath of the appointment by the newly elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Oumar Tatam Ly as Prime Minister. The new Premier will have to form the government in charge of pulling Mali out of the serious crisis caused by the conquest of the north by secessionist and Islamists groups and the military coup of 2012. The intervention of the French military in January 2013 made it possible to regain the north and the election last August was a key step towards the normalization of the Country, but much work remains to be done, as confirmed by don Dembele. "The new leadership of the Country - says the priest - will engage in discussions with all political forces and Tuareg rebels in the north to find a way to preserve the territorial integrity of the Country and reconcile the nation to re-establish the coexistence among all the communities".
"Another dossier to be faced is the fight against corruption, because the Malians believe that the severe crisis in which the Country has sunk is due to the corruption that has reached alarming levels at all levels".
It must also re-launch the economy to cope with the widespread poverty, and the school system which has not been functioning well for twenty years", concluded Fr Dembele . (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 06/09/2013)


Share: