Mali PM apologises for killing of protesters

Mali's prime minister has apologised for the recent killing of protesters by security forces.

In an interview with France 24, Boubou Cissé said an investigation had begun, but he rejected calls for President Ibrahim Boubakar Keïta to step down.

At least 11 people were killed during an anti-government demonstration last Friday and the unrest that continued over the weekend.

A coalition of religious, political and civil society leaders has accused President Keïta of mismanaging the economy and failing to stop violence by jihadist groups and ethnic militias.

A delegation from the West African regional bloc Ecowas is in the capital, Bamako, this week to try to broker a resolution to the political crisis.