Thousands of protesters demand Mali president step down

Supporters of the Imam Mahmoud Dicko attend a protest demanding the resignation of Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita at Independence Square in Bamako, Mali June 19, 2020. REUTERS/Matthieu Rosier

Tens of thousands protested in Bamako on Friday demanding the Malian president resign or face civil disorder despite political concessions offered in response to mounting frustration over the many crises afflicting the west African nation.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, re-elected in 2018 for a second five-year term, is struggling with a years-long security crisis in northern Mali, an outbreak of the new coronavirus, a strike by teachers, and political tensions arising from a disputed legislative election in March.