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| - The protest movement against Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said on Wednesday that his resignation was no longer a prerequisite for talks in a political crisis that is alarming the country's allies. The so-called "June 5" movement is still calling for Keita to leave power, but in the "spirit of openness to dialogue" his resignation is not on a list of demands that include the dissolution of parliament, and the formation of a transitional government whose prime minister would be appointed by the movement, one of its leaders said at a press conference. The newly formed opposition coalition of religious leaders, politicians and civil society figures will call for fresh demonstrations on July 10 if their demands are not met, Choguel Maiga said. The coalition rallied tens of thousands to take to the streets of Bamako in two demonstrations last month, channelling deep-seated frustration over jihadist attacks and inter-ethnic violence that have claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes since 2012. The slow pace of political reforms, a flagging economy, a lack of funding for public services and schools and a widely shared perception of government corruption have also fed anti-Keita sentiment. The challenge faced by Keita, who has been in power since 2013, is worrying Mali's allies who fear the demonstrations could further destabilise the west African country, one of the poorest in the world. Sahel countries and their ally France on Tuesday expressed concern over the unrest after a summit in Mauritania, where they vowed to press ahead with a tactical shift in their campaign against the jihadist insurgency in Mali and the region. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is committing more than 5,000 troops to its Barkhane anti-jihad force in the Sahel, stressed "the urgency of rapidly implementing measures to calm the political climate". The demand for Keita's resignation was seen as a major obstacle to dialogue. Keita has taken a conciliatory stance, mooting a national unity government in a June 14 address to the nation. Protest leaders rejected the offer. Last month's protests followed demonstrations in May over the results of March's long-delayed parliamentary elections -- which Keita's party won -- as well as over coronavirus restrictions. kt-lal/erc/lc
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