Malian president moves to restore peace in crisis ridden country

Malian president says he was considering appointing candidates who lost the last legislative elections to the senate

The move is seen as an attempt to restore stability in the country that has witnessed several weeks of protests.

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita made the proposal after two major rallies in the West African state of 18 million people, organized in June by a galvanized opposition in a context of growing hostility towards the president.

Mali is struggling to contain a jihadist insurgency that erupted in 2012, causing thousands of deaths and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.