They had been brandishing the threat for weeks.Saliko Sanogo and his supporters fled after the Supreme Court ruled on April 12 in favor of his rival Gouignon Coulibaly for the presidency of the Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD).
This April 16, the former minister and several executives of the deceased's party Soumaïla Cissé including the honorary president Bandiougou Bidia Doucoureformer vice presidents likeMahamadou SissokoANDAbdoul Malik Diallo or Again personalities like the former hostage Amadou Kolossimet with more than 150 other supporters in Bamako to register the creation of a new formation.
Salikou Sanogo president?
Determined to “continue the fight for Younoussi Touré and Soumaïla Cissé”, Salikou Sanogo announced the launch of a “new political apparatus to […] better protect [the] republic and save [the] democracy. The former minister was present at his side Boubacar Karamoko Coulibalythe general secretary of the URD Daouda Touréthe vice president Daouda Moussa Koné AND Diarra Lala Câmara, member of the national women's department.
As this project was approved almost unanimously, the future party will be composed of two commissions. The first, in charge of guiding and writing the texts, will be directed by Ibrahima Sulla, second assistant to the secretary general of the URD, and the second, responsible for awareness and communication, will be directed by the Sidi Ongoiba, responsible for URD's electoral matters. “Once the texts have been written, a Constitutive General Assembly will be recognized to approve the project”, specifies his deputy. Moussa Sey Diallo.
Will Salikou Sanogo take the lead? "He will assume the provisional position pending the organization of a congress to define whether he will be confirmed in his duties”, specifies Moussa Sey Diallo, undersecretary in charge of communication at the URD. “He will follow the process to a certain extent, but he is tired,” he adds.
The support of the Cissé family
“We want to reincarnate the soul of URD”, continues Moussa Sey Diallo, who explains that this formation will embody the values of former opponent Soumaïla Cissé, taken by Covid-19 at the end of 2020. And that he is supported by his widow, as well as his children. Assitan Traoré Cissé has always preferred to be discreet. “She will certainly be a godmother but she will not be a member”, specifies the communicator of the new party, who however guarantees that there will be “one or two children from the Cissé family in the office”.
The name of the new party is debated. “We received many proposals that we will take to the Constitutive General Assembly”, adds Demba Traoré, URD communications secretary and present at the meeting. Some, which contain the name Soumaïla Cissé, have already achieved Summer competitive.
