Mali’s opposition leaders rejected concessions by President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to end the country’s ongoing political crisis, saying that only Keita’s resignation would bring an end to their protest actions, Al Jazeera reported July 12. Why It Matters: Heightened violence, arrests of opposition leaders, and ongoing gridlock in negotiations between the government and the opposition indicate that political unrest will continue in Mali, and particularly in Bamako, in the coming weeks. During this time, there will be a heightened risk of clashes, roadblocks, looting and other disruptions. Jihadist militants will take advantage of security forces’ preoccupation to expand the scope and scale of their operations in the country. Background: Thousands of people have protested in Bamako over the last several weekends, demanding government action on corruption, poor economic conditions and an ongoing jihadist insurgency lead by al Qaeda and Islamic State groups throughout the country.