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The crisis deepens

30 Mar

The last 24 hours have seen a string of events.

Yesterday, Yeah was interviewed by PRI The World (http://www.theworld.org/2012/03/mali-junta-constitution/) on his thoughts on how Mali should move forward after the coup. Take a listen:

The junta introduced the new constitution on National TV. They had disbanded a 20-year old constitution when they took power a week ago. The 69-article constitution includes many of the guarantees of the former law, including the guarantees of free speech, liberty of movement and freedom of thought. New measures include the creation of a military-led council headed by Sanogo. It says that the new head of state is simultaneously the head of the army, the head of the government and the head of the judiciary. The middle and final sections set out the role of the military committee now controlling the country, which calls itself the National Committee for the Reestablishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State. The new constitution says that the committee will be made up of 26 soldiers or police and 15 civilians. Those asked to serve on the committee will receive immunity and cannot be tried at a later time. This leads to concerns of some of the “old guards” (those that have embezzled money), could be asked to serve on the committee and never be tried for stealing from Mali. (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-03/D9TPJIJG0.htm) Also there was no talk of when a new election would be held in this constitution.

Also, this morning, there was a press conference to introduce the Alliance des Démocrates Patriotes pour la Sortie de la Crise (ADPS) or Democratic Patriots for the end of the Crisis. Yeah had organized 12 other political parties that hold 5 other presidential candidates into a unified front, which condemned the coup, and called for the restoration of democracy. The plan which was unveiled on National TV today, calls for an interim civilian government whose main duties will be to restore the constitutional democracy of Mali, a resolution of the Northern crisis and the organization of the elections. Also this body will work with international organizations to remove all sanctions against Mali. The body which will be composed of 30 members will have 7 members from the military, 18 members from the political parties and 5 from civil society.  The plan takes into account the legitimate concerns of restoring democracy and addressing the core concerns of the rebellion. The hope is that Sanogo will keep good on his promise to restore democracy.Details of the proposition can be found in French at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/ADPSMali/doc/282460618498541/

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It was interesting to watch the developments of several protests that were organized. There were clashes between protesters that supported the junta and those that are against the junta. Tires were burned and rocks thrown between the two sides. These protests in part show that the democratic will of the people is still alive and well. However there is the hope that these clashes will not get out of hand.

Ecowas Protest ( Reuters)

At one point, these protesters stormed into the airport and ran on the tarmac causing security concerns to the plane of Presidential leaders of ECOWAS, and preventing them from landing. ECOWAS leaders were on their way to meet the leaders of the military coup and discuss ways on which democracy could be restored. For the past week, this same group has condemned the coup and threatened Mali with economic sanctions and locking up the borders it shares thereby preventing the transfer of goods. To be honest, if this group of African leaders had not rushed in this situation hot headed and trying to strong arm a country, I feel they would have received a better reception. Its third grade playground tactics. No one likes the bully and in this case the Malian people were saying they did not appreciate the bullying and to back off. If these leaders had invested some time in studying the situation at hand and reaching out to these leaders to see how a diplomatic solution could be reached, such a situation might not have happened. The result is Mali has now had economic sanctions placed on her and all her neighbor’s borders will been locked down in 72 hours if power is not relinquished. So what does this mean for Mali if these sanctions do go through? In actuality, this could be very bad for the 15 million Malians. Mali imports almost all of its gas from neighboring Ivory Coast. In addition, all of its banks would be on lock down as the central government will not transfer money to any Malian commercial accounts making it impossible to withdraw money. Also Mali that imports much of its food will find food prices shoot up as demand goes up and the supply reduces food stores present within the country. The devastating thing is that this will cause a lot more harm on the individual level before it even makes an impact on the government in place. Sanctions don’t effect governments, they affect individuals. The next 72 hours will help spell Mali’s fate. The refugees that find themselves in already desperate situations down north will only be pushed into a further desperation as remaining food sources become inaccessible.

While the issues in the South play out, in the North, MNLA is making its own advances. Now the town of Kidal finds itself surrounded by MNLA. Kidal is an essential town and if lost would mean a huge defeat for the Malian army where confidence is already low. The situation is dire as MNLA is attacking from the north while fighters from an allied Islamist group, Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith), were leading an offensive from the south. Once this town is taken, Gao and Tombouctou seem next on the agenda. Once MNLA has access to the Northern region, it will not be long before the area is turned into pre-9/11 Afghanistan.

Currently, Malian citizens do not feel that their government served them.  They have felt helpless and marginalized by previous administrations and so now they find themselves turning to the junta that have removed the very government that has taken so much from them. The Malian people have been led by bad governance for so long. Suddenly, here is a leader that came in and overthrew a bad ruler. Not to romanticize it, but in the mind of some Malians, the junta are seen as Saviors and these Malians want them to remain in power to resolve the corruption and Northern issues that plague the country. From where I am, I feel like these young military soldiers did not mean the country harm and the coup was far from a planned event. Sanogo has started to grow into his role as the new President, but his inexperience shows. How can you not secure an airport when you know a delegation of Presidents is entering your airspace? How can MNLA continue their advance when the issues of the North were one of the very things that caused the coup? How can Sanogo allow the number of refugees to grow while he traverses the country visiting imams and individuals that strengthen his image as the caring leader?

Support the prompt return to democracy in Mali. Support our leaders as they attempt to work with current leaders to propose a long-term solution to the problem. The solution needs to come from within.

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Coup d’état in Mali: What comes next?

29 Mar

SAMAKE FOR DEMOCRACY! MALI IS STRONG. MAY OUR VOICE BE HEARD.

This past week has been a testament of how nothing should be taken for granted and how quickly things can change in a blink of an eye. This past week has seen the fall of a stable democracy, the removal of a President, the institution of a military government, pandemonium, a return to calm and restored stability. For me on a personal level, I have witnessed firsthand changes. For one, the goal that we have worked so hard to achieve for the last year has been pushed. April 29th was supposed to be Election Day in Mali, when the voice of the people would be heard. That has now been pushed and there is no date set when the elections will happen. It was comforting to see the outpouring of love we received from the four corners of the globe and we were touched by the kind words of faith and encouragement. So what does these events that crash landed mean for the fate of Mali and that of the Samake2012 campaign?

Mali is at a critical time in its history. While the coup is said and done, now is not the time to go back. For one, to contemplate the scenario, what would be achieved by restoring the power to Amadou Toumani Toure (ATT) that the EU, AU and the US have called for? To give back power to ATT would mean showing support for the irresponsible handling of the Northern war and the way that our troops have been treated. There is no doubt among the Malian people who ATT has handled the security situation in the North poorly. Nothing has been done to stop the atrocities happening in the Northern regions of Tombouctou, Kidal and Gao. In fact these regions have seen an increase in the illegal trafficking – including drugs, weapons, migrants, cigarettes and Western hostages. We could have stopped the remnants of Gaddafi’s army long before lives were lost. However, nothing was done to stop them from crossing our borders and bringing in firepower that has made them extremely hard to defeat. They joined a pre-existing Tuareg protest movement, the National Movement of Azawad (MNA), a group of young activists which denounced the regime’s management of northern Mali allegedly based on its alliances with corrupt local political elites and a racketeering arrangement with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). MNA leaders elaborated the political platform of what would become the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad (MNLA). To give back power to ATT means to allow this terrible management of a crisis to go on. What do we do about the 175,000+ people who are displaced? What had ATT done to help them or make sure no additional harm came to them? What continues to happen that will help them? “Up to now aid agencies have not had great access to these areas… It’s hard to sell this crisis, it’s quite forgotten,” says Helen Caux, West Africa communications head at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Really? How can we allow an inhumane crisis like this to continue?

We now need to move forward. Do the leaders of the National Committee for the Reestablishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State have a solution? Patriotism and dissolution of a non functioning government only takes you so far. Do they have a way to resolve the issues in the North? How do they propose to restore the government and end corruption? These are questions for the political leaders as military leaders do not have the political know how or training to answer them.  We need to form a unified front of leaders that can appeal to the military leaders and provide them with a proposal on how a government can be instituted temporarily until free and fair elections can be held. In addition, now is not the time for sanctions or aid to be withdrawn. A country whose GDP is so heavily dependent on foreign aid cannot withstand such a hit. And who does it hit most? Not Sanogo sitting comfortably at the top. No, it is the men and women that live below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day. Let’s not make their life even more miserable than it already is. At this point in time, they are not worried about what policy the government passes next, all they see is the immediate harm in terms of feeding themselves and their families.

Mali at this time needs friends and not foes. They need the international community to work with the military leaders currently in power and encourage them to work with political leaders in Mali on how a peaceful transfer of power can be made. There is not a day that goes by where Sanogo does not reaffirm that power will be handed back. It can be seen one of two ways. Either, he is trying to convince the outside world or he is trying to convince himself. Either way, great strides have been made by the military rule to ensure the safety of our Malian brothers and sisters. The Malian way of life has for the most part been restored with the borders reopening and airports functional. In addition government buildings and banks are open. There are security measures in place at the banks which are controlled by the Central Bank of Africa so that huge withdrawals are not made. All in all, calm is restored in the capital. Now, it will be important for political leaders to work together with the military leaders and provide solutions to get out of the current situation with the least casualties.

Now more than ever, the campaign must go on. I could take my family and return to the safety and security of America. However, my heart is compelling me at this moment that my and Yeah’s efforts are needed here in Mali. I have the firm belief that things happen for a reason and they are a test to man as to how we can make the best of what life throws at us. It is at times like these true leaders will emerge that have only one duty and that is to serve our people. We must now focus on the situation at hand and decide what is best for Mali.

Please continue to support our campaign. I know you probably are saying, well why would we support something when we don’t even know when the elections will be. In a way I can understand that. However, this has never been about the goal of winning the elections. This campaign has been about an awakening of the hearts and minds of Mali to a new way of government which actually cares and furthers the wellbeing of their people. I implore you to think of it as not just an election that has been delayed; now we are in the fight to restore democracy. We are in this to bring relief to the 175K+ refugees stuck without recourse.

You know how we all say, well that is history. Well here is your chance to help make history and restore to Mali the stability and the voice of the people who are struggling to be heard.

Make your voice heard today at http://www.samake2012.com

 
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Posted by on March 29, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Celebrating Democracy

26 Mar

Today was a very memorable day for Malians. No it was not a 4-day celebration of the coup. Today, we celebrated Martyrs Day. As the world watched the events emerging since the coup, many embassies and consulates warned their citizens to stay away from the march that was to commemorate this day which is also popularly known as Democracy Day.

A little history about this day. On March 26th, 1991, 300 demonstrators were killed in clashes with the military, as they protested against then leader Moussa Traoré. The protest was organized against Traoré’s Multiparisme political system set up on October 1989 and increasing amount of unemployment and pay cuts from the government including the rampant privatization of government properties created great dissatisfaction. In an attempt to control the crowd and stall the mounting protest and crack down its organizers, Traoré launched a violent military attack against the protesters ending into a horrific death of more or less 300 people. Because of this, members of concerned military officers, headed by ATT himself, launched a military coup against Traoré thereby ending his more than 23 years of political rule in Mali.

To be honest, I find it most ironic that the coup happened less than a week before the so-called Democracy Day, ending the very democracy that so many sacrificed their lives for. Many parties and individuals sharing this very sentiment joined a peaceful march to speak out against the coup. The march was held at Bourse de Travail ( Labor Union Building) and there were chants for Sanogo to step down and for ATT to be restored back to power. In addition, there were shouts for the ORTM building to be liberated. The military has kept control of the TV station since the coup started on Wednesday. Soldiers maintained their presence to keep protesters at bay and ensure that no one got violent. I am just glad this march did not go wrong. It was also nice to see that democracy was not completely lost as people voiced their displeasure with Sanogo taking over the democratic process a month before Malians were set to go to the polls. Sanogo, on National TV, spoke to honor the souls that had been lost in this historic battle and reaffirm to the Malian people that power would be returned to the people. Sad and ironic how Mali has stepped back in time. May those 300 lives not have been lost in vain, may democracy rein free and fair again, for despite its weaknesses, the will of the people needs to mold the future of our country.

Martyrs Day March Mali: A Peaceful Protest

The day passed peacefully with no reports of any negative backlash or violence. Tomorrow will mark the first day of official work since the coup broke out. Sanogo has asked all government officials to return to work. The day after the coup, these were some of the first people that were given instructions. It will be interesting to see what new developments unfold. Sanogo is starting to look more and more like a President and less like just another military officer on TV. Another good sign that life is returning back to normal is that airports will open tomorrow. My interns leave us on March 29th, a month ahead of their planned departure. I am definitely sad to see them go. They have been a true asset to our campaign. How many students would be willing to pay their own way to come intern in a foreign country for a foreign campaign when they could be in the US doing the same thing in this election year? Not many and there are not many that could have worked the 14 hour days we sometimes threw at them. Liz Jessop and Kyle Rehn, you will be missed but we are glad your parents will have you back home, safe and sound.

Yeah has been working hard as well. He left this morning at 9am and has been having political meetings since then to try to see if a unified front can be created to convince the new President to restore democracy. It is becoming harder and harder to do so, as politicians attempt to gain favor with the new President in hopes that they may get a position in government. It is disheartening to see that these are the same leaders that if they had run on April 29th and won, they would be running our whole country. Sanogo, came on ORTM tonight, promising to work with political parties within the next few weeks to create a unified government. The question becomes with a unified government, it’s like having a dual Presidential system with Democrats and Republicans. No bill would ever get passed and no law ever instituted.

The time has come when politicians in Mali need to get off their personal agendas and start pushing out one agenda alone and that is the welfare of Mali.

 
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Posted by on March 26, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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What this election is all about

17 Mar

When I first heard of Yeah’s decision to run for President eight years ago, in all seriousness, I thought the man was trying to impress me. I thought he was joking. Why would someone living in the land of opportunity (America), want to lead the land of no opportunity (Mali). I dismissed this statement to the back of my mind, never thinking of it again until Yeah became the executive director of Mali Rising Foundation. Now don’t get me wrong, Yeah has always had a deep passion for Mali and his family. He would at times send money to his family even when he had barely enough to cover his rent and tuition. When he started with Mali Rising Foundation, he focused on the issue very close to his heart and the one issue that Mali is combating very heavily today. The Lack of education. The schools he built with American partners had one goal only and that was to alleviate the obstacles young children faced with not having easy access to a God-given right of literacy. Soon enough, the foundation was facilitating medical services to the people of Mali, something that is done till today. There have been multiple containers containing computers, solar panels, desks, school kits and medical supplies that have benefited the Malian people. Since 2004, Yeah and the Mali Rising Foundation have sought to make the lives of Malians better. This is a role that the government should be fulfilling but has failed miserably at it. In 2009, the dream became more of a reality when Yeah told me he was running for Mayor of Ouelessebougou. At that time, I in my selfishness asked him if he was crazy. Today, I see the changes he has brought to his commune of Ouelessebougou. His commune boasts clean running water, a solar field that provides electricity, the only high school in the region and a new hospital in progress. This has been accomplished in a span of less than 3 years.

The first time I came to Mali in 2006, the poverty and lack of opportunity hit me first. But behind this, one only had to look a bit to see beautiful happy people. I have never met a people who are happier than Malians. However, I have also never seen people poorer than Malians. Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. Surprising given that they are one of the major exporters of cotton and gold, two commodities that are in high demand in the world. As the current president Amadou Toumani Toure leaves office, he leaves the country in the same state he took it. The only difference is that there are more foreign investments in terms of buildings, airport and roads, that begs the question about what favors were bought. Today, Mali has these facts to bear:

  • Infant Mortality: 111 deaths per 1,000 births
  • Literacy Rate: 46.4%
  • Unemployment: 30%
  • Life expectancy: 52 years
  • 1 doctor per 20,000 people

This country does not need a savior. They need someone who cares. They need someone who has experienced the pain of malaria and hunger first hand. They need someone who knows the pain of losing a loved one to an inadequate healthcare system. They need someone who knows what it means not to earn a paycheck for months on end. That person is Yeah Samake. There is no professional agenda here. The only goal Yeah has is to help the people he loves so much out of the depth and despair that bad governance has condemned them to.

If we are to remain serious competitors against the leaders that have embezzled money for the last 30 years, then we need to raise $50000 immediately. Our party PACP (Parti pour l’Action Civique et Patriotique) will hold its launch on March 25th 2012. The entire event will be televised in an attempt to educate people about what their options are in terms of good leaders. In 42 days, Malians will go to the polls to elect their next President. It is my hope and prayer that Yeah Samake will become the President of Mali, not for personal gain, but because I believe with all my heart that this country deserves the chance and the hope that Yeah can bring.

Please help us today if you can. The time has come to make that donation you have been thinking about and if you weren’t then maybe thinking about making one. What better way to bring change than to elect a leader whose actions will trickle down? We cannot do this without you. Join us in welcoming a new day in Mali and let April 29th 2012 spell change and success for a struggling nation.

Donate if you can at http://www.samake2012.com

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Posted by on March 17, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Diorila welcomes back a local favorite

01 Mar

As Team Samake arrived in the village, they were greeted by a horde of children and villagers who enthusiastically followed Yeah to the stage for the rally.

A large group of drummers welcomed Yeah while a man, wearing an intricately designed mask with beautiful red beadwork, danced.

There were about 150 people in attendance, including all of the excited children. As the event began, there were various dances performed by the women and the men in their own individual circles. Culturally, Malian men and women do everything separately in public. Our friend James and intern Kyle joined the African men by dancing with them in the circle. Check out their interesting contribution:

Numerous other performances were given by the drummers. The village chief then proceeded to introduce Yeah and other party members. Yeah eloquently spoke once again of a new day for Mali. After Yeah finished speaking, a special performance was given by local talent Petit Ballo who wrote a song about Yeah Samake. His support has brought an even greater enthusiasm to our campaign!

Petit Ballo performs

Listen to the song by Petit:

PETIT BALLO YEAH SAMAKE 2012

After the rally, Team Samake walked over to the MRF built middle school, Sue Taylor Middle School of Diorila, to visit with the children and see the condition of the school. The children were excited and crowded around the windows and every opening of the school. The people were excited to see the return of Yeah and anxious to see what else he could do for their village.

After lunch, which was generously provided by the villagers, there was a soccer game sponsored by PACP in a neighboring commune. The mayor welcomed Yeah. There were about 80 people in attendance. The imam and Chief of the village welcomed Yeah with a speech of support. Yeah’s councilor Broulaye Doumbia spoke to the people about Yeah and his accomplishments. He spoke fondly of Yeah’s character and courage to help his country.

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The events were short but served its purpose of reminding the villages in this area of what Yeah has already done for them and can continue to do if he is elected President.

 
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Posted by on March 1, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Building a dream one meeting at a time.

06 Jan

In Mali, campaigns are done a little differently. Here the occurrence of meetings to convert supporters will determine the success of the candidate. Mali is at a wonderful stage politically in terms of the need for a young, innovative leader who can jump start the Malian economy. The current president Amadou Toumani Toure has been in office for 10 years. He is popular mainly because he led the military coup to overthrow the dictatorship of Moussa Traore and then handed power back to his people. During the past 10 years, while Mali has progressed little to none financially, the democracy has remained a stable example to its neighbors. Mali needs change desperately so that it can meet its fellow African countries in the high ranks when it comes to economic development, education and prosperity for its people.

Currently the Malian voting population is dominated by the youth. The youth have only known poverty, unemployment and a bad education system for as long as they can remember. This election will be won if the youth can be won over. The same applies to the woman. The Malian woman works hard and long and at the end of the day equality still does not exist.  However Malian women associations are one of the strongest groups in Mali. It is essential that Yeah taps into these two resources. And that is exactly what he did this past week.

One of the meetings was held in Siby. The campaign had already made a stop in Siby a few months back to meet with leaders from surrounding villages. The mayor of Siby was one of the mayors that Yeah took to Utah so that he could be introduced to better governance and could implement some of it in his own commune. Mayor Camara was so impressed with the moral standards and principles that were present in the towns/counties he visited in Utah that he committed to introducing a similar openness in his own commune. The 50 community leaders were eager to meet the candidate that they were supporting. Each of these leaders could potentially bring 500-1000+ supporters to the polls so it was essential that this meeting happen. The meeting was a huge success as it renewed the faith that these individuals had in Yeah and the change that he could bring if he was elected.

Meeting community leaders in Siby

Another meeting that was held was with woman leaders. It will be important to tap into the woman voter population this election. A strategy meeting was held with 20 woman leaders to discuss how this could be done. This meeting too was a huge success as the woman leaders were pumped to go spread the word about their candidate for 2012.

Women community leaders

Yet another meeting was held with the youth leaders. The trend remained similar as these voters were reaffirmed in their faith in Yeah’s ability to lead Mali. Yeah told them it was their time and it was up to them to get out the vote if they wanted change in Mali.

Getting the Youth vote

The focus of these meetings is to inform leaders where Yeah stands on important issues like woman’s health, basic health, education, decentralization and security. These three meetings are a small sample of what Yeah attends on a daily basis. These meetings are essential to the success of the election and could make or break Yeah’s bid for Koulouba (the Presidential palace). The campaign is moving fast and before you know it April 29th 2012 will be upon us. My hope is that we can together make Mali a better place for its 14 million people. Help support the dream at http://www.samake2012.com

 
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Posted by on January 6, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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