Malians assess one year of the coup d'état that ousted Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

It is now one year since the overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in Mali by soldiers.

A lot has since transpired including a second coup within nine months when strongman colonel Assimi Goita again sacked the civilian leaders of the ruling transitional council.

Malians are now reflecting on the past year. "Nothing is going well in Mali today. One year after IBK (Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, president before the 2020 coup), teachers no longer have any rights, and this is one of the reasons for IBK's departure." Modibo Haidara, a Telephone repairman in Bamako lamented. 

Analysts believe Haidara's remarks mirror what many in the sahelian nation make of the current political situation. But one Bamako resident is not falling to despair so fast.

**"When the country is spoiled, you have to give these people time to pull the country up, to get it out of the hole. You have to give these people time to work. For the balance sheet I can say... we have to wait, we have to hope ."**Oumar Cheick Camara explained.

On August 18 2020, a young group of officers in Mali's armed forces led a coup d'état, arresting the beleaguered President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse. 

The pair resigned later that day, and the military took charge, led by a body called the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP). 

Less than ten months later, officers disgruntled by a government reshuffle forced the resignation of the interim civilian president and prime minister, and Colonel Assimi Goita was instated as the new president of the transition. 

Goita has vowed to uphold the deadline of February 27, 2022 for holding democratic elections for a return to civilian rule. 

Malians and foreign partners have been watching to see if the military-led interim authorities will stick to this promise.