Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga resigned ahead of a no-confidence vote over his government's failure to tackle a deadly rise in attacks from Islamist militants and clashes between ethnic communities. Mali has been struggling to restore stability since Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the country's vast desert north in early 2012. Last month, gunmen killed at least 157 people on Ogossagou, a village in central Mali populated by rival Fulani herders, in one of the deadliest attacks the country has experienced in years. The attack was followed by protests in the capital, Bamako, with thousands calling for the government to find a solution to the crisis or to step down. At the same time, the lives of ordinary people in Mali are getting worse. The price of basic necessities like water, electricity and food has risen by 20 percent in the last year. The United Nations has more than 16,000 personnel on the ground in Mali, including a contingent of 12,418 troops made up of forces from countries including Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger, Togo and Chad.
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