Malian opposition activists turned up in their thousands on Friday marching through the streets of the capital, Bamako, to demand the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

The massive response to the anti-government protest comes after series of calls by opposition groups, accusing the president of not addressing the country’s many challenges.

Bintou, one such protester said it is the time for IBK to leave: “We are here tonight to put an end to corruption, to put an end to demagoguery, to put an end to this dying power that is no longer capable of educating our children, giving us health, equipping our army.

The embattled president on Tuesday announced that he would hold talks on establishing a unity government.

The regional Economic Commission of West African States, ECOWAS; bloc sent a delegation that met the president on Thursday, they also called for the formation of a unity government and a review of contentious results from recent legislative polls.