BAMAKO (Reuters) – Soldiers who climbed a wall in Mali on Tuesday marched on a number of senior civilian and military officials from the capital and drove them back to their base, said a Malian security source and an official in the office of the Prime Minister.
Opposition groups called for a new military base in Kati, outside the capital, Bamako, on Independence Square in Bamako, Mali, on August 18, 2020. The sign reads: ‘Down with France and its governor. ‘REUTERS / Rey Byhre
Unconfirmed rumors that the mutineers have arrested President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Bamako soared, prompting hundreds of anti-government protesters to a central square to celebrate and saying it was time for him to resign.
Both sources said who the officials were or how many were arrested. Reuters saw no evidence that Keita was among those rounded up. The president’s office could not be reached for comment.
Prime Minister Boubou Cisse issued a brief statement late in the afternoon calling for dialogue to resolve the crisis. He did not address the whereabouts of any officials and also did not say with whom he sought dialogue.
“The observed eruptions reflect a certain amount of frustration that may have legitimate causes,” Cisse said. “The government of Mali urges the perpetrators of these acts to stand up.”
It was not immediately clear how many soldiers were there. A Malian military spokesman confirmed that gunmen were shot at the base in Kati, about 15 km (9 miles) from the capital, but said he had no further information.
A Kati-based mutiny in 2012 led to a coup that killed then-President Amadou Toumani Toure and contributed to the fall of northern Mali to jihadist militants continuing to operate across the north and center of the country.
A European diplomat said a relatively small number of members of the National Guard, who were apparently angry by a payment operation, seized an ammunition depot on Tuesday, but were then reported to have been surrounded by other government troops.
A French military source said discussions were taking place between Mali’s army command and the deceivers.
In Bamako, hundreds of people marched in the square around the Independence Monument, the site of mass protests since June, and asked Keita to act on alleged corruption and tainted security.
‘Whether he is arrested or not, what is certain is that his end is near. God loses our prayers. IBK is ready, ”said Haidara Assetou Cisse, a teacher, referring to the president through his initials.
“We came out today to ask for the total dismissal of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. “Because we heard shots were fired by the army and we came out to help our soldiers escape from IBK,” said opposition leader Aboubacar Ibrahim Maiga.
Protestants attacked the personal offices of the justice minister, setting parts of them on fire, a Reuters witness said.
AMERICAN CONCERN
Elsewhere in the capital, government ministry buildings were evacuated, an official said, and guns were heard at the prime minister’s office, according to a security source.
The offices of state television ORTM were also evacuated, said Kalifa Naman, a senior ORTM official. There have been no reports of a single attack on state TV, which aired pre-recorded programming.
A Bamako resident said armed men had access to two bridges over the Niger River in the city closed. It was not immediately clear who the armed men were.
Western powers and a West African regional body condemned the myth. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France “condemns this serious incident in the strongest terms”.
The U.S. envoy to the Sahel region of West Africa, J. Peter Pham, said on Twitter: “The U.S. is against all unconstitutional changes of government, whether it be by those in the street or defense and security forces. . ”
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it was “calling on the soldiers to return to their barracks”.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “calls on all Malians to maintain the integrity of the country’s democratic institutions”.
Foreign embassies urged their citizens to stay at home.
The ongoing protests against Keita represent Mali’s worst political crisis since the 2012 coup. At least 14 people were killed during the demonstrations.
Regional forces are concerned that prolonged unrest by the protests could escape the fight against Islamist militants in the region. Their presence has made large areas of central and northern Mali ungovernable.
Keita had hoped concessions to opponents and recommendations from a mediating delegation of regional leaders would help stem the tide of discontent, but the protest leaders have rejected proposals to join a government with power-sharing.
Report by Tiemoko Diallo in Bamako and David Lewis in London; Additional reports by Paul Lorgerie in Bamako, Aaron Ross in Dakar, Paul Carsten in Abuja, Tangi Salaün in Paris and Michelle Nichols in the United Nations; Written by Aaron Ross; Edited by Alison Williams and Gareth Jones
.
