Mali government steps down after carnage

By Alaattin Dogru</p> <p>DAKAR, Senegal (AA) – Mali's prime minister and his government has stepped down four weeks after militants stormed a village in central Mali and killed more than 150 people.</p> <p>Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga submitted his resignation to the President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Thursday.</p> <p>“The president accepts the resignation of the prime minister and that of the members of government,” a statement from Boubacar Keita’s office said.</p> <p>It was noted that a new prime minister will be appointed and a new government will be established “very soon” following consultations with the government and opposition, the statement added.</p> <p>On March 23, militants had stormed the village of Egossagou, leaving at least 161 people dead and many houses burnt.</p> <p>Tensions erupted in Mali in 2012 following a failed coup and a Touareg rebellion that ultimately allowed al-Qaeda-linked militant groups to take control of the northern half of the country.</p> <p>In 2015, a peace deal was signed between the government and some insurgent groups.</p> <p>Political and community disputes continue to fuel tensions in northern Mali, thus undermining implementation of the peace agreement.