US to resume development aid in Mali: State Department

The US will resume development aid -- but not military assistance -- in Mali, the State Department has announced, two days after the West African country's new president was inaugurated.
Aid had been suspended last year after the ex-president was ousted in a military coup. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a former prime minister, was elected last month and sworn in on Wednesday.
The transition means "a democratically elected government has taken office in Mali," the State Department said in a statement yesterday.
"The United States will therefore resume bilateral development assistance immediately, but will continue to assess when and how to reengage with Malian security institutions," the statement said.

"Any eventual resumption of assistance to the Malian military will prioritize security sector reform, professional norms, the reassertion of civilian authority, accountability mechanisms, and the rule of law."
President Keita, a 68-year-old veteran of the political scene in Bamako, will aim to lead the country out of a 17-month political crisis sparked by a military coup. He has has pledged to unite Mali and end endemic corruption.

The US pledged to "coordinate closely with our partners in the international community and with the newly-elected Malian government to support comprehensive and effective solutions that promote development and security throughout Mali," the statement said.

The crisis last year was sparked when army officers, angry at the level of support they had received to combat a separatist Tuareg rebellion in the north, overthrew the democratically-elected government of President Amadou Toumani Toure.
In the chaos that followed, the Tuareg seized control of an area larger than France before being ousted by Al-Qaeda-linked groups who imposed a brutal interpretation of Islamic law on the local population, carrying out amputations and executions.
Their actions drew worldwide condemnation and prompted France to launch a military offensive at Mali's behest to oust the Islamists in January.
Keita's election in the August 11 poll was seen as crucial for unlocking more than USD 4 billion in aid promised by international donors who halted contributions in the wake of the coup.