Would Mali now come to terms with itself, enquired a national of the French-speaking country few days after it became clear that 68 year old former prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is now at the helm of the shaky republic
It’s a question also on the lips of some 80 percent of the population. All agree however that it has been a lonely road, sometimes seemingly a bottomless pit but saved by the intervention of ECOWAS and French troops as well as UN peace-keeping forces.
That the election itself took place was a huge victory itself and even pessimists had to readjust their sets. The format was less admired for a country that was at torment with itself and in a bubble. The build up to the elections saw rivalry between political parties as they jab each other for power, stubborn postures from a sizeable percentage of the army and separatist insurgence divided the country. Add corruption to these divisive issues along with Jihadist threat in the north, rigid unemployment among youths were all ghostly shadows that would have made some greedy politicians said,” no thanks, I’ll pass this time.”
And these would remain the leading challenges of the new president as he steps into the murky waters.
But dwarfing these concerns will be the issue of Malians being assured of their daily bread. For a country where food prices are marked up by the day, many lower level Malians survive on unhygienic produced goat milk, inedible animal skins and starchy foods.
Unemployed youngsters hold the fuse of the time bomb on jobs and could make things messy if remedial actions are not taken quickly.
Weapons are freely available like confectionaries from pavement shops, spilled over from Libya after the fall of the Gaddafi era.
The economy remains in doldrums, choked mainly from the sliding price of gold, a mineral in which Mali is the world’s third largest producer.
However not all is being washed into the sea. The new government stands to be the recipient of some three billion Euros instant aid from international donors who had it on hold until ”a credible and transparent election” which ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, France and western democracies have given the thumbs up.
More work would have to be done to reunite the north with the south and main peace and security by interfacing with the current 12,600 UN peace-keepers. Plans would have to be stepped up for the return of Malian refugees now in Mauritania and Algeria and the internally displaced. As has occurred in many countries with a Malian-type fit list, many folks will be expecting a quick fix-it solution to their woes.
Malians would have to balance short term prospects with long term solutions and remember that a radical imam is not recognised by the length of his beard or his garment. It will have to take time.
In it all, it could be said that Mali has made the initial step, however feeble towards its recovery.
That its political leaders have set the example by conceding defeat is a remarkable venture. It’s not easy like defeated candidate Soumaila Cisse did to troop his family to Keita’s domain to concede and it is important that the new government takes note of the move which pessimists called, ”a departure from the African democratic mentality.”
It is a start for unity, optimists said and the Keita’s administration should use this as a key to high jump the obstacles to make to-morrow’s dollar become yesterday’s deutsche marks.
But predicting politicians and governments is always a tricky venture. Other professionals are better surveyed. Old accountants never die, they just lose their balance and old musicians never die, they just get played out. And of course, old lawyers never die, they just lost their appeal. But for politicians, let’s keep that for another take.
August 15, 2013
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