In force since November 2015, the state of emergency has been extended for a year, has announced the Malian government.
It’s on Friday, October 20, that the government of decided to extend “the state of emergency on the entire country”, from October 31 for a period of one year.
The state of emergency, decreed on April 19, 2017, had already been extended for a period of six months which expires on 31 October. The state of emergency grants exception powers to law enforcement. According to the government, it has posed many acts such as, among other things, “entry and exit bans on vehicles at certain hours in the areas of insecurity”, “the institution of the systematic search of cars, motorcycles and wagons”, “the organization of mixed patrols along the border”. Despite the posed acts, terrorist attacks against civilians and armed and security forces continue. Serious risks to personal safety and their property remain high in some areas”, says the government in the statement from the Council of ministers.
Since the terrorist attack (which caused 22 dead including 2 attackers) on the Radisson hotel, in November 2015, the state of emergency has been established on several occasions. The government says that “the adoption of this bill comes as part of the strengthening of the prevention and the fight against terrorism mechanisms and organized crimes in the country”.
In 2013, the state of emergency was declared on January 12, after the offensive of terrorist groups towards the South of the country, stopped by a French-African intervention. Two years after the signing of the peace and reconciliation agreement resulted from the Algiers process, Mali is hardly climbing the slope created by the crisis.
Sahelien.com