Bamako, July 2016. Created at the beginning of the month, gathering about forty associations of unemployed young people, the « collectif Bi-Ton» leads the mobilization with the slogan «IBK, our 200 00 jobs». Allusion made to the campaign promise made by President Keïta in Kayes, in 2013, during the election campaign.
«My goal is to create at least 200 000 jobs in 5 years. I do not want to be a dream merchant by throwing myself into electoral bidding. I will be a president who keeps his promises. I say it, I will do it! 200 000 jobs is already an ambitious, very ambitious objective. But it is realistic and achievable», said the candidate of the Rally for Mali (RPM), Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, in the Abdoulaye Makoro Sissoko stadium.
The meeting that the collective planned to organize on July 23 at the Mamadou Konaté Stadium to claim the 200 000 jobs, is canceled for «security reasons». A year later, when the government announced that the 200 000 promised jobs had been reached by more than 99%, the collective counter-attacked and called for resistance in villages and towns. A meeting is scheduled for October 14 at the Palais de laCulture located in Badalabougou. Its president, Sega Diarrah, a political scientist, answers Sahelien.com’s questions. He talks about the reasons behind this call for resistance, about what the collective criticizes Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s regime and the political opposition.
Sahelien.com: What do you call to resist?
Sega Diarrah: Our resistance suggests a struggle between the conscious desire to change the unemployment curve in Mali and the unconscious forces that stand in the way.
Why this call for resistance now?
The situation of Malian youth is becoming more and more worrying (precariousness, poor quality education and not available …). The number of Malian seeking illegal immigration has never reached the proportions we know today. We are witnessing the decline of Mali. Children no longer attend school in the Mopti region, and in many other circles. Nepotism has become the rule during recruitment competitions in State enterprises. Public administration is taken hostage by sexagenarians, all members of a clan. The horizon is blocked for Malian youth. Is the defeat final? Are we condemned? No. If history is an eternal do-over, we are in a situation similar to that of the eve of Mali’s independence in the 1960s. It is therefore in front of the urgency of the situation that we decided to ignite this flame of resistance on October 14.
As you say in your appeal, how is the responsibility of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta’s regime overwhelming in the current situation in Mali, when we know that he has only been there for only four years?
For nearly two years, our movement has been constantly drawing the attention of public authorities to the urgent need to face the mass unemployment of young people and the precariousness of the latter. The enrollment rate of children has decreased from 89% in 2011 to 79% in 2015 according to UNESCO. The failure and abandonment rate is following a dizzying curve. We made the diagnosis and published a book on the problems of young people with concrete proposals. In 2016, we called on the government to organize the general assembly of youth unemployment without success.
«The amateurism in organizing the 2017 Baccalaureate, especially in the Koulikoro region, is proof that we are not in good hands».
For two (2) years, the government has always replied by denial, contempt. The latest is the week of employment in Mali. During the month of September 2017, we wanted to create a bridge between jobseekers and Malian companies through the organization of a week dedicated to employment. After gathering more than 60 companies and registering some 14 000 participants, we addressed a partnership request to the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training to involve the services in charge of promoting employment in Mali. This week of employment was scheduled to start from September 29. This initiative was a unique opportunity for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to have direct access to our businesses. Despite our many calls and solicitations, the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training never wanted to meet with us.
To our surprise, the Minister contacted all the companies invited for our week of employment to organize his week of employment at the same address (Palais des Sports), three (3) days before the start of the one we are organizing. Although we did not find this attitude, responsible on the part of a Minister of the Republic, we asked our members to go out to meet the companies. To our surprise, this event was actually a smokescreen. The stands were empty and there was almost no job seeker on the premises. Faced with this attitude and the political swindle of saying that the government created 200 000 jobs, including 106 000 jobs in the State civil service in 04 years, while all Malian civil servants as of December 31, 2015, is estimated at 120,000 employees. We have understood that the government has no will to deal with unemployment. The current system is guilty of falling quality in our school system. To date, it has not presented any clear educational policy in line with the labor market. The amateurism in organizing the 2017 Baccalaureate, especially in the Koulikoro region, is proof that we are not in good hands.
… «In Mali today, it is not the container that poses problem, but rather the content».
You also write that the «official opponents» only criticize IBK on form. What do you blame the political opposition for?
What we are blaming the «official» opposition for is not challenging the essence. The opposition denounces only the people and their practices, that is, the form. While in Mali today, it is not the container that poses a problem, but rather the content.
In what does this call for resistance different from the ideals defended by other civil society organizations in Mali?
We adhere to the ideals of all civil society organizations that are struggling for the development and emancipation of Mali. That is why we invite all of them to join us. To be effective, the resistance must unite. Our struggle is not a question of man or group, but a struggle of ideas. That is why our positions are not to be taken or left, but they are to be discussed. Mali has everything to succeed.