Celebrated Malian musician Salif Keita has resigned from the National Transitional Council (CNT) – the legislative body set up to help steer the country away from military rule towards democracy.
In a video shared online, an official reads out a statement on behalf of Keita in which he says he resigned from the position for “purely personal reasons”.
“I will always remain the undisputed friend of my country’s military,” the statement adds.
Keita had been a member of Mali’s transitional legislative assembly since December 2020 after it was formed following the August 2020 coup that ousted former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (no relation).
However, some local media reports say Mr Keita was fired due to misconduct.
They say the dismissal was motivated by “serious acts of breach of the duties of probity, dignity and honour”.
The largely pro-junta CNT has 147 members and has been overseeing constitutional and other legal reforms ahead of transitional elections in which Mali’s military rulers are expected to hand over power to civilians in early 2024.
