Terrorism in the north, ethnic tension in the interior, high unemployment and a population boom. Mali's new president will face numerous challenges. One woman and 23 men will be vying for the job on July 29.
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The presidential candidates have been busy traversing the vast country and some have even traveled abroad to address Mali's diaspora, which represents almost half a million votes.
Some candidates have received — or bought — the support of artists. Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Salif Keita has endorsed veteran opposition leader Soumaila Cisse.
Cheick Modibo Diarra's supporters waited for hours in central Sikasso, in the south of the country, where the 66-year-old was campaigning for votes. Diarra was acting prime minister in Mali's transitional government after the 2012 coup. Before that, he worked for the US space agency NASA.
Seydou Diallo is one of Diarra's supporters. He places great hopes in the man whose style some Malians find too American.
"When I go vote, it will be for Cheick Modibo Diarra. He inspires me. In my opinion he is the candidate for change," Diallo told DW.
"He is a new face, he has ideas and can cope with the current situation, whether it is about employment, training or other things."
Dissatisfaction and disappointment
There is a shortage of work in Mali. The country is placed 175th out of 188 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index. Young people in particular – 66 percent of the population of close on 18 million is younger than 25 – complain about poor schooling, the lack of jobs and prospects.
Dissatisfaction with the political climate is high in some places, as shown by, for example, a recent survey (the 'Malimetre') conducted by Germany's Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES).
"This survey shows that young people in Mali especially are disenchanted with politics. That is evident here on the streets of Bamako and in other regional cities such as Sikasso and Kayes,” said FES country director Phillip Goldberg.
UN peacekeeper support
The disappointment is apparent in many conversations. Yet for incumbent Ibrahim Boubacar Keita there was no doubt that he would run for re-election.
In 2013, IBK – as he is known in Mali – triumphed in a run-off against Cisse. After the coup the previous year and the occupation of the north by militant Islamist groups over several months, Keita reconciled and stabilized the country.
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) also contributed. Some 13,300 of its soldiers, including almost 700 Germans, are still in the country. Since the mission was deployed, 169 soldiers have been killed.
It would appear that, without MINUSMA, an election in Mali would not be possible. MINUSMA has, for instance, offered to use its aircraft to transport the candidates to dangerous locations such as Kidal and Timbuktu.
Martin Nadon, the director of electoral affairs of MINUSMA, explained.
"MINUSMA neither organizes the election, nor is it responsible for security. We provide support only in respect of the security and organization," Nadon said. "If there are areas where voting cannot take place on July 29, measures will be taken by the ministry to deal with the situation."
Fictitious voters
Supporters of President Keita celebrated outside the Sheraton Hotel in the capital Bamako, where he unveiled his election platform to invited guests. In essence it is pretty much a summary of the last five years.
"The situation today has nothing to do with the past. That has been overcome," said Keita.
He listed successes in road construction and agriculture, which accounts for about 40 percent of the country's gross domestic product. But is that enough to warrant his re-election?
UN peacekeeping missions in Africa
MONUSCO is the biggest and most expensive UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is only one of the many other African countries where the "blue helmets" are intervening.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/S. Mohamed
DR Congo: UN's largest mission
Since 1999, the UN has been trying to pacify the eastern region of the DR Congo. The mission known as MONUSCO has nearly 20,000 soldiers and an annual budget of $1.4 billion (1.3 billion euros). Despite being the largest and most expensive mission of the United Nations, violence in the country continues.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappeler
Darfur: Powerless against violence
UNAMID is a joint mission of the African Union and the UN in Sudan's volatile Darfur region. Observers consider the mission a failure. "The UN Security Council should work harder at finding political solutions, rather than spending money for the military's long-term deployment," says security expert Thierry Vircoulon.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. G. Farran
S.Sudan: Turning a blind eye to fighting?
Since the beginning of South Sudan's civil war in 2013, nearly 4 million people have been displaced according to the UN. Some of them are being sheltered in UN compounds. But when clashes between government forces and rebels broke out in the capital Juba in July 2016, the blue helmets failed to effectively intervene. Later, the Kenyan UNMISS commander was sacked by former UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
Image: Getty Images/A.G.Farran
Mali: The most dangerous UN mission in the world
UN peacekeepers in Mali are monitoring compliance with the peace agreement between the government and an alliance of Tuareg-led rebels. But Islamist terrorist groups such as AQIM continue to carry out attacks making MINUSMA one of the UN's most dangerous military intervention in the world. Germany has deployed more than 700 soldiers as well as helicopters.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappeler
CAR: Sexual abuse scandals making headlines
MINUSCA, the UN's mission in Central Africa Republic has not helped to improve the image of the United Nations in Africa. French troops have been accused of sexually abusing children by the Code Blue Campaign. Three years on, victims haven't got any help from the UN. Since 2014, 10,000 soldiers and 1,800 police officers have been deployed. Violence in the country has receded but tensions remain.
Image: Sia Kambou/AFP/Getty Images
Western Sahara: Hope for lasting peace
The UN mission in the Westsahara known as MINURSO has been active since 1991. MINURSO is there to monitor the armistice between Morocco and the rebels of the "Frente Polisario" who are fighting for the independence of the Western Sahara. In 2016, Morocco which has occupied this territory since 1976, dismissed 84 MINURSO staff after being angered by a statement from the UN Secretary-General.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Senna
Ivory Coast: Peaceful end of a mission
The UN mission in Ivory Coast fulfilled its objectives on June 30, 2016 after 14 years. Since 2016, the troops have been gradually withdrawn. Former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this was a "turning point for the United Nations and the Ivory Coast." But only after the full withdrawal will it be clearly known whether or not the mission was successful on a long-term basis.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. Sanogo
Liberia: Mission accomplished
The UN deployment in Liberia is - as in neighboring Ivory Coast - will soon be history. The soldiers are leaving by mid-2017. Since the end of the 14-year civil war, UNMIL has ensured stability in Liberia and helped build a functioning state. Liberia's government now wants to provide security for itself. The country is still struggling with the consequences of a devastating Ebola epidemic.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Nietfeld
Sudan: Ethiopians as peace promoters?
The UNISFA soldiers are patrolling the disputed oil-rich region of Abyei. Sudan and South Sudan both claim to be rightful owners of this territory located between the two countries. More than 4,000 blue helmets from Ethiopia are deployed. Ethiopia is the world's second largest peace-keeping contributor. At the same time, the Ethiopian army is accused of human rights violations back home.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. G. Farran
Somalia: Future model AU mission?
UN peacekeepers in Somalia are fighting under the leadership of the African Union in a mission known as AMISOM. The soldiers are in the Horn of African country to battle the al-Shabaab Islamists and bring stability to the war-torn nation. Ethiopia, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria have all contributed their troops for AMISOM.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/S. Mohamed
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The task of voter registration has been slow. Supporters of opposition candidate Cisse claim that a second electoral roll with 1.2 million fictitious voters exists.
Mali has some 8.5 million eligible voters, according to the government. It is entirely unclear how high voter turnout will be and how many voters in the north will make it to the polling stations, due to the precarious security situation.
Seydou Diallo in Sikasso is determined to cast his vote. "The new president will surely have his ambitions and ideas. But in the end it is the people who have to take the country forward every day," he said.