Mali Appoints New PM in Wake of Massacre

Former Finance Minister Boubou Cisse, 41, has been appointed the new Prime Minister of Mali, following the resignation of the entire government last week.

Almost 160 herders from the Fulani community were murdered on Saturday leading to international outcry and condemnation from the United Nations.

Although the now former Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga and his government did not give a specific reason for their departure, it is widely suspected that they did so in response the attack.

It is believed that an armed vigilante group from the Dogon hunter community is behind the massacre, which some have described as “ethnic cleansing”.

Authorities have so far detained five people in relation to the attack, although it is thought more remain at large.

Cisse’s appointment comes after consultations with various groups, including actors from civil society, both the opposition and government.

Both Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso have been marred by a resurgence in violence along the border region, a result of both ethnic tensions and a rise in Al-Qaeda affiliated Islamic groups.

The new Prime Minister is now faced with the monumental task of bringing peace to a country that was once held up as a beacon of stability and prosperity in the region.