MALI descended into turmoil yesterday after the prime minister and the entire government resigned after a motion of no confidence over its handling of rising violence in the country.

Lawmakers blamed Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga for failing to deal with the unrest which escalated after the massacre of herders by a rival ethnic group last month.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita released a statement announcing he had accepted the resignation of Mr Maiga and his government.

“A prime minister will be named very soon and a new government will be put in place after consultations with all political forces,” the statement said.

Mali’s government faced criticism as it struggled to deal with rising violence, particularly the recent killing of 160 Fulani herders in the Mopti region.

Jihadists hold influence in large parts of Mali and carry out frequent attacks despite a peace accord struck in 2015.

Thousands took to the streets in protest at the latest killings earlier this month as the country slid into further instability.

Protesters also demanded the withdrawal of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country, the Multi-dimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission.