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| - Mali has been gripped by its worst civil unrest in years after contested election results brought thousands of protesters onto the streets calling for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resign. On March 26, opposition leader Soumaila Cisse is kidnapped as he campaigns three days before parliamentary elections, in an unprecedented abduction of such a senior politician. On March 29, despite the coronavirus pandemic which a day earlier had claimed Mali's first life, the first round of the parliamentary poll goes ahead. It is tainted by abductions of election officials, the ransacking of polling stations and the explosion of a mine which kills nine. On April 19, the second round is disrupted by incidents in the centre and the north of the country which prevent voters from casting their ballots. On April 30, Mali's constitutional court overturns the results for some 30 seats, 10 of which benefited candidates from the president's party, triggering protests in several cities. On May 30 Islamist hardliner Mahmoud Dicko, opposition parties and civil society figures form an unprecedented broad-based opposition alliance which calls for a demonstration the next week to demand the resignation of President Keita. It goes on to adopt the name, "Movement of June 5 -- Rally of Patriotic Forces". The movement is critical of continued failures to stem the country's jihadist insurgency, inter-community bloodshed as well as the government's record on the economy and fighting corruption, along with the organisation of the legislative elections. On June 5, tens of thousands of people hit the streets in the capital Bamako. On June 12, Keita reappoints Prime Minister Boubou Cisse and tasks him with forming the new government resulting from the elections. On June 14, Keita tells the opposition coalition in a statement on public television "My door is open and my hand always extended". On June 16, he announces discussions to form a new unity government that would include opposition figures. He says that opposition leader Cisse, believed to be in the hands of jihadists, is alive. On the June 19, tens of thousands of people rally to demand that Keita resign. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) calls for the creation of a "consensus government of national unity". The bloc also calls for the government to review the results and hold new partial elections "in the concerned districts as soon as possible". On July 7, Keita suggests he could appoint as senators parliamentary candidates whose election victories were overturned by the constitutional court. On July 8, he opens door to reviewing the court's decision. His attempts to appease the opposition are rejected, with the movement's leaders calling for parliament to be dissolved and urging civil disobedience. On July 10, violence breaks out during a mass demonstration in Bamako, with two dead and more than 70 injured as protesters block main thoroughfares, attack the parliament and storm the premises of a state broadcaster. Keita warns that security would be maintained "with no signs of weakness", but signals his willingness "to do everything possible to calm the situation". On July 11, Prime Minister Boubou Cisse says four people have died in the country's worst unrest in years. He vows to to quickly form a government "open to facing the challenges of the day". ang-jmy/eab/dl/har
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