Canadian troops arrive amid heightened tensions, raised hopes over Mali election
OTTAWA — The arrival of Canadian troops in Mali has coincided with raised hopes and heightened tensions over what is expected to be a decisive moment in the West African country’s recent history: presidential elections later this month.
The elections, scheduled for July 29, are being hailed as an important milestone for the country, which has been riven by political unrest and growing instability marked by widening internal divisions and frustration at the government.
The hope among many Malians is that a successful presidential vote — to be followed later this year by regional elections — will begin to reverse the country’s lagging fortunes and pave a path out of the current morass, which has endured for six long years.
“Politically, nothing has really moved over five years, there hasn’t been any result, really,” Ousmane Maiga told The Canadian Press during a recent visit to a bustling outdoor market in Mali’s capital, Bamako.