Anika Begay
(Reuters) – Four years after the military ousted Mali’s then-president and took power, many residents say economic problems are worsening and that persistent power cuts are hurting businesses.
The August 2020 coup in the troubled West African nation was sparked by public anger at corrupt rulers backed by former colonial power France, a growing jihadist insurgency and economic hardship. Many are still waiting for life to get better.
“The way they have handled the electricity situation is a problem. Many Malians are suffering huge losses,” Oumar Diarra, a furniture maker, told Reuters. “The government has to make an effort because we are suffering enormously.”
The 2020 coup in Mali helped spark a wave of coups across the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert, including neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, which are battling the same jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Mali’s current military, which seized power in a second coup in 2021, has reneged on a promise to hold elections in February, postponing the vote indefinitely for technical reasons.
Allasana Ag Agaly, a silversmith, said power cuts are affecting all families in Mali. “If the head of the family goes out in the morning and comes back in the evening without being able to work to bring something to his family, this will have repercussions on children, women and everyday life,” he said.
The World Bank says economic growth in Mali is expected to slow to 3.1 percent this year from 3.5 percent last year, with extreme poverty levels rising. About 90 percent of Mali’s population lives in poverty.
Mali’s military leaders, along with those of Niger and Burkina Faso, have also expelled French and United Nations troops who had been involved for a decade in the fight against Islamist insurgents and turned instead to Russia for help.
Some residents say they remain hopeful and see the current difficulties as the price to pay for greater independence from France.
“Political independence without economic independence makes no sense,” said Alkady Haidara, a resident of the capital Bamako. “I just want Malians to be patient, because it’s part of life. You have to go through a difficult time to have a brighter time.”
