Mali: Junta leader calls for 'reconciliation between Malian brothers' on Independence Day

General Assimi Goïta, head of Mali's ruling junta, spoke on national television on Monday evening, on the eve of the celebration of the country's 66th anniversary of independence on Tuesday 22 September. In his speech, he spoke of the need for "reconciliation between Malian brothers".

This intervention comes in a tense security context, marked by an upsurge in jihadist attacks in central Mali. The country, ruled by a military junta for several years, continues to face an armed insurgency that affects several regions of the territory.

The celebration of independence, achieved in 1960, is taking place in a climate where the transitional authorities are seeking to display a message of national unity in the face of persistent security challenges. The call for reconciliation between Malians, formulated by the head of the junta, is addressed to a population that has been facing instability linked to armed violence in the centre and north of the country for several years.

The speech was not further detailed in its content beyond this call for unity. It is part of a series of official speeches on the occasion of the major dates of the national calendar, in a country where the junta has gradually consolidated its authority since coming to power.

The security situation in central Mali remains closely monitored by regional observers, with violence attributed to jihadist groups continuing to affect the civilian population and weigh on the agenda of the transitional government.