UN, Ecowas, Others condemn Mali Military uprising

World and regional leaders have condemned in strong terms the coup attempt in Mali by mutinying soldiers, culminating in the arrest of the President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and the Prime Minister, Boubou Cissé.

The insurrection is coming just as ECOWAS special envoy to Mali, former President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the crisis in that country.

Jonathan said calls by the main opposition in Mali, M5-RFP, for President Keita to resign cannot be acceptable to African Union (AU), United Nations (UN) and others.

President Buhari and four other ECOWAS leaders had visited Bamako, Mali, last month before a virtual extraordinary summit of the sub-regional body.

Yesterday, the soldiers arrested the Malian president and the Prime Minister after storming the West African country’s capital where protesters filled the streets demanding new leadership at a time of rising extremism and economic turmoil.

A group of young men set a government-owned building on fire hours after disgruntled junior officers detained commanders and took control of the Kati camp, about 15km (nine miles) from Bamako.

In the past weeks, the political crisis in that country degenerated, with opposition protesters taking to the streets to demand the departure of Keita, who they accused of allowing the country’s economy to collapse and mishandling a worsening security situation.

Mali’s years-long conflict, in which ideologically-motivated armed groups have stoked ethnic tensions while jockeying for power, has spilled into the neighbouring countries of Niger and Burkina Faso, destabilising the wider Sahel region and creating a massive humanitarian crisis.

Earlier yesterday, opposition protesters gathered at a square in Bamako in a show of support for the soldiers while regional and international powers urged the troops to return to the barracks and foreign embassies advised their citizens to stay indoors.

Reacting to the development, United Nation’s secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, condemned the arrest of Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, and members of the government, calling for their immediate release.

A statement by UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, noted that Guterres called for “the immediate restoration of constitutional order and rule of law in Mali”.

The European Union also condemned the insurrection in that country, saying it was not the solution to socio-political crisis in the country.

“EU strongly condemns the coup attempt underway in Mali and rejects any unconstitutional changes. This can in no way be a response to the deep socio-political crisis that has hit Mali for several months,” the block’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter.

Also, African Union (AU) also condemned the coup attempt in Mali, asking the soldiers to release President Keita and the prime minister with immediate effect.

The chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, noted in a tweet that AU “Emphatically condemns” the arrests of President Keïta and his prime minister.

“I strongly condemn the forced detention of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali, the Prime Minister – Boubou Cisse and other members of the Malian government, and call for their immediate release,” Mahamat said in a statement.

He also denounced “Any attempt at unconstitutional change” while urging the mutineers to “cease all use of violence”.

Mahamat called on the 15-nation West African ECOWAS bloc, the UN and the entire international community to “Combine their efforts to oppose any use of force to end the political crisis in Mali”.

Also, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the uprising, urging the mutineers to return to barracks.

“This mutiny comes at a time when, for several months now, ECOWAS has been taking initiatives and conducting mediation efforts with all the Malian parties,” ECOWAS noted in a statement.

Also, France’s Foreign Minister, Jean Yves Le Drian, said that country condemned “In the strongest terms this serious event” and urge soldiers to return to barracks.

Earlier yesterday, the American and French embassies warned their citizens in Mali to stay at home.

“The United States opposes any extra-constitutional change of government, whether by those on the streets or by the defense and security forces,” tweeted Peter Pham, the US special envoy to the Sahel.

“The embassy has been notified of a mutiny in the Armed Forces and troops are on their way to Bamako,” the Norwegian Embassy wrote in an alert earlier yesterday.

Tens of thousands of Malians had flooded the capital of the West African nation in recent months, accusing Keïta of botching the response to a fast-spreading Islamist insurgency while allowing the nation’s economy to crumble.

The coronavirus pandemic further fanned frustrations after state lockdowns pushed many people out of school and work.

Earlier yesterday, Prime Minister, Cissé, acknowledged the “Legitimate causes” of his countrymen’s anger in a statement and invited the soldiers to talk.

“There is no problem that cannot be solved with dialogue,” he wrote.

Malian mutinous soldiers also detained the President of the National Assembly and the Finance Minister, according to local journalists.

“There is a mutiny, but we do not know what it means yet,” said Mohamed Salaha, a news editor in Bamako. “Everyone is being told to stay inside. Everything is closed”.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting today afternoon to discuss the current situation in Mali.