Followers of an influential Malian imam on Sunday called for the country's ruling junta to explain the use of tear gas at a rally marking his return from abroad.

The clash has drawn interest over signs of possible tensions as the miliary moves to monopolise its power.

Supporters of imam Mahmoud Dicko turned up to welcome him on Saturday at Bamako airport as he returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia.

Tear gas was fired at the procession accompanying him home, footage shared on social media showed.

The supporters blamed security forces but no official explanation has so far been given.

Dicko played down the incident and said he "regretted" what had happened in a video released on Saturday.

But on Sunday Dicko's movement of followers CMAS condemned the "aggression".

"Nothing can justify this act by the security services against Muslim worshippers who had come out to glorify Islam", it said, calling for an investigation.

Dicko, a Saudi-trained imam, was viewed as the figurehead of the wave of protests in 2020 against president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, which culminated in his ouster in a military coup.

Since then he has openly expressed his disagreements with the junta.

bur-kt-sd-lal/lcm/pvh

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

China FM urges greater African voice in global governance
Addis Ababa (AFP) Jan 11, 2023
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Wednesday that Africa should have a greater voice in the UN Security Council and other international bodies, long a demand of the continent's leaders. Qin made the call in a statement issued as he met the head of the African Union Commission who voiced frustration at what he said was the exclusion of Africa from international governance. "We should boost the representation and voice of developing countries, especially those of African countries, in the UN ... read more