Soldiers who overthrew the president of Mali in a coup that drew international condemnation pleaded on Wednesday to restore stability and control a transition to elections within a “reasonable” period.
President Ibrahim Boubacar ousted Keita and ousted parliament late on Tuesday, hours after the coup arrested him at gunpoint, placing a country already opposed to an armed movement as mass protests deepened into crisis.
Colonel Major Ismael Wague – a spokesman for the coups that called themselves the National Committee for the Salvation of the People – said they were taking action to prevent Mali from falling into further chaos.
“The social and political tensions have been undermining the proper functioning of the country for some time,” Wague said.
“Mali is sinking into chaos day after day [with] anarchy and insecurity because of the guilt of the people in leadership over their destiny. True democracy does not go with reassurance, nor weakness of state authority, which must guarantee the freedom and security of the people. ”
There was no word on the future of now-former President Keita.
‘Restoration of stability’
No casualties were reported during the military takeover. Edges were closed and a postage cross will take effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wague said all international agreements would still be respected and international forces, including the UN mission in Mali and G5 Sahel, would remain in place “for stability”.
The French military has been silent since the coup began, refusing to comment on what its troops are doing in Mali as the crisis unfolds.
The French government has not commented publicly since Keita’s dismissal. The coup is a battle for France and for President Emmanuel Macron, who has supported Keita and sought to improve relations with former colonies in Africa.
The coups also remain “committed to the Algiers process” – a 2015 peace agreement between the Malian government and armed groups in the north of the country, Wague said.
The coup coincided with opposition plans to stage protests against Keita. The June 5 Movement, named after the date of its first protest, directed public anger against the leader and set ever stricter demands for his dismissal.
The campaign ran into crisis last month when 11 people were killed in three days of unrest sparked by a demonstration.
Condemnation
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Mali coup: Soldiers pledge to hold new elections |
The takeover was soon condemned by Mali’s regional and international partners, who feared that the fall of Keita could further destabilize the former French colony and the entire Sahel region of West Africa.
Flanked by soldiers, Wague invited Mali’s civil society and political movements to join in creating conditions for a political transition.
“We are not concerned with power, but we are concerned with the stability of the country, allowing us to organize general elections to equip Mali with strong institutions within the reasonable term.”
Later on Tuesday, anti-government protesters had given a central square in Bamako to cheer on the coups as they drove through in military vehicles.
The capital was much quieter on Wednesday, with a few citizens on the streets and most shops close after spending the night.
Videos circulating on social media showed people walking through luxury connections in the city, including properties identified as belonging to Lords of Justice Minister Kassoum Tapo and Keita’s son, Karim.
The coup was condemned by Mali regional and international partners, who fear that Keita’s fall could further destabilize the country and the entire Sahel region of West Africa. [Anadolu Agency]Landlocked Mali has struggled to regain stability since the Tuareg uprising in 2012, which was hijacked by fighters linked to al-Qaeda, and a subsequent coup that plunged the country into chaos.
Keita, 75, came to power in 2013 following the Bamako coup, pledging to bring peace and stability and fight corruption. He won reelection for a second term of five years in 2018.
On Wednesday, European Union Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton said the bloc would insist on new elections in Mali within a reasonable time frame, while China said opposition to regime change by force.
The regional bloc of West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States, on Tuesday detained Mali from its institutions and closed its borders of the member states with Mali.
After previously warning that it would no longer tolerate military takeovers in the region, the bloc plans to send a high-level delegation to Mali to ensure a return to constitutional democracy.
The UN Security Council will be briefed behind closed doors in Mali on Wednesday at the request of France and Niger, diplomats said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Tuesday for the immediate release of Keita and other detainees.
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