Timbuktu, Mali, Sept 14, 2020 – Malian army lieutenant Abdoul Kadri leads a patrol through the bustling streets of the desert city of Timbuktu, gun by his side. The concerns of the capital Bamako, still reeling after last month’s military coup that ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, seem far away. Kadri’s soldiers patrol in vehicles mounted with high-calibre machine guns — a reminder of the lingering threat of violence in Timbuktu. Exasperation over the situation contributed to a wave of protests against Keita, which led up to his ouster the August 18 coup. United Nations bodies and many NGOs in Mali have also worked through the coup without pause.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 14, 2020 12:33 UTC