The president’s son, Karim Keita, announced his resignation as head of parliament’s defense committee amid public anger in the West African nation.
At least 11 protesters died and 150 people were injured in days of clashes between Malian security forces and protesters who attacked government buildings during anti-government marches in the capital Bamako, according to Secretary General of Health Mama Mama Couma.
The street demonstrations were organized by the opposition coalition group M5-RFP and its supporters calling for a transitional government.
Riots in the capital continued on Monday when youths closed some roads and bridges in the city.
Gunshots were heard around a mosque owned by influential cleric Mahmoud Dicko, which was the scene of a deadly confrontation between security forces and protesters.
Dicko, who has called on protesters not to “set fire to the country” is one of the movement’s key leaders.
Civil disobedience
In a statement Monday, Keita said he did not want to be the target of groups that use “populist slogans” and their position in parliament to push their political agenda forward.
“I no longer want to be an argument for people who need a program, nor to be an obstacle to dialogue between Malians to calm the socio-political situation in our country,” said young Keita.
He still retains his seat as a legislator.
The president dissolved the constitutional court at the center of the controversy that followed a legislative election in March and also promised to appoint new judges to preside over disputes that emerged from the polls.
He announced his intention to form a more inclusive government among many movements to calm tensions in the country.
Twenty opposition members arrested during the protests were released on Monday, said one of the groups, Mahmoud Dicko Coordination of Movements, Associations and Supporters (CMAS).
But one of the main opposition members and former minister of the Keita government, Mountaga Tall, told CNN that peaceful “civil disobedience” will continue despite the president’s promises.
“The dissolution of the court and the consensual government do not correspond to our vision of the change that the people want,” said Tall.
Disputed surveys
The protest over the weekend is the third time that thousands of Malians will heed calls for the opposition M5-RFP coalition demonstration asking the president to step down.
The opposition also called on the government to dissolve parliament and designate an independent body to oversee the new elections.
The executive director of the Citizen and Security Observatory, Baba Dakono, told CNN that the president’s “partial solutions” are not enough to capture the movement’s agitations for reform.
Dakono said opposition groups should be brought in when selecting new members of a constitutional court to ensure a transparent system.
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