PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF
Ibrahim Keita favourite to win Mali poll as 36,000 troops deployed
Bamako — Malians voted in a run-off presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent Ibrahim Boubacar Keita expected to beat the opposition challenger despite a surge in ethnic and militant violence during his tenure. The first round on July 29 was marred by security incidents at polling places, as well as opposition charges of fraud. But as Sunday’s voting got under way, no serious incidents were reported. Soldiers ran body checks on voters as they waited in line to cast their ballots. Dramane Camara, 31, was the first to vote at a polling station in the capital Bamako. "I voted without problem, I came to fulfil my duty as a citizen," Camara said. "I expect the new president to solve the problem of the north. The return of peace means the return of NGOs, investors, so creating jobs." The chaotic first round was a reminder that militants, some linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, have regrouped since French troops intervened in 2013 to push them back. They are expanding their influe...
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