African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence

The African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence ("Solidarité Africaine pour la Démocratie et l'Indépendance") is a left-wing political party in Mali. It was founded by Cheick Oumar Sissoko and Oumar Mariko in 1996; [http://www.lecourrier.ch/modules.php?op=modload&name=NewsPaper&file=article&sid=42729&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 La faiblesse de l'État nous laisse une place pour imposer des alternatives] , Benito Perez, "Le Courrier", December 19, 2006 fr icon.] Sissoko is the party's president and Mariko is its secretary-general. [http://www.essor.gov.ml/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=14815 Présidentielle 2007 : Oumar Mariko, porte-étendard de SADI] , "L'Essor", February 27, 2007 fr icon.]

The party held its first ordinary congress in March 2002, at which Mariko was chosen as its candidate for the April 2002 presidential election. [ [http://www.essor.gov.ml/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=1184 Congrès: Oumar Mariko défendra le projet "SADI" aux Présidentielles] , "L'Essor", March 12, 2002 fr icon.] In this election, Mariko took 12th place with 0.88% of the vote. In the July 2002 parliamentary election, the party won six out of 147 seats. [http://africanelections.tripod.com/ml.html Elections in Mali] , "African Elections Database" en icon.] After this, Sissoko joined the government as Minister of Culture, although Mariko opposed this move.

The party's second ordinary congress was held in Koutiala in December 2006, at which it was decided to nominate a candidate for the April 2007 presidential election at a national conference on February 23–24 2007. [ [http://www.essor.gov.ml/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=14260 2è congrès ordinaire du SADI : Le parti ira à la Présidentielle 2007] , "L'Essor", December 27, 2006 fr icon.] Mariko was again chosen as the party's presidential candidate at this conference. In the April election, he took fourth place with 2.72% of the vote.

SADI won four out of 147 seats in the July 2007 parliamentary election. [http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200708131307.html Mali : Résultats définitifs des Législatives — l'Adéma/PASJ perd dans trois localités] , "Les Echos" (allAfrica.com), August 13, 2007 fr icon.]

A local secretary-general of SADI, Youssouf Dembélé, was found dead on August 12 2007, in what the party described as an assassination. [ [http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=39355 Malian opposition party alleges leader was assassinated] , "African Press Agency", August 13, 2007 en icon.]

SADI's second national conference will take place in Bamako on September 8–9 2007. A major issue at stake is whether the party will continue to participate in the government, with Mariko's supporters opposed to it, believing it to be incompatible with the party's views, and others feeling that the party can be more effective as part of the government. [ [http://www.lemali.fr/politique/actualites-politiques/sadi%3a-debats-houleux-autour-de-la-participation-au-prochain-gouvernement-200709057697.html SADI: Débats houleux autour de la participation au prochain gouvernement] , Issa Fakaba Sissoko, "L'indicateur Renouveau" (lemali.fr), September 5, 2007 fr icon.]

When parliamentary groups in the new National Assembly were created in September 2007, SADI formed a parliamentary group with the Party for National Rebirth (PARENA). [ [http://www.essor.gov.ml/jour/cgi-bin/view_article.pl?id=16699 "Assemblée nationale : huit groupes parlementaires constitués"] , "L'Essor", n°16038, September 24, 2007 fr icon.]

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