In an apparent coup on Tuesday, the Mali president and prime minister were detained by assassinated soldiers who surrounded the presidency and fired shots into the air.
The arrests follow months of protests calling on President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resign.
The uprising began after soldiers in the Kati army base, outside the capital Bamako, mutated, stole weapons from the base’s army and then detained senior military officials, the Associated Press reported.
Protesters against anti-government apparently let the soldiers move freely through the streets, cheered them on and set fire to the Mali Ministry of Justice.
A man carries a national flag as he celebrates with others in the streets of the capital, Bamako, Mali, on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Mutine soldiers detained the President and Prime Minister of Mali on Tuesday after he surrounded a residence and in the airstrikes in an apparent coup attempt after several months of demonstrations calling for the ouster of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. (AP Photo)
“There is no problem whose solution cannot be found through dialogue,” Prime Minister Boubou Cisse had said in a communication, urging the soldiers to put their arms down.
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The United Nations, along with France that previously colonized Mali, has spent more than seven years trying to stabilize the nation that saw a coup in 2012, which could have sparked an Islamic uprising to seize the nation. The 2012 coup was led by soldiers from the same army base as today’s attacks.
Political chaos that consumed the country on Tuesday allowed government officials to flee their offices as armed rebels stormed government buildings and detained officials, including Finance Minister Abdoulaye Daffe.
Keita, which is supported by France and other Western nations, has reportedly tried to meet the demands of Protestants who began their demonstrations in June.
Today’s actions have been condemned by and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) – a regional union of 15 West African countries that have mediated the political unity of Mali.
“I strongly condemn the forced detention of Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the Prime Minister and other members of the Malian government, and call for their immediate release,” African Union Commissioner Moussa said on Tuesday. Faki Mahamat.
The US and France also rejected today’s developments in Mali, calling them “unconstitutional”.
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“The U.S. opposes any unconstitutional change of government, whether by those on the streets or by the Defense and Security Forces,” said Special Envoy of the U.S. Department of State for the Sahel region, J. Peter Pham also said. Twitter.
Today’s actions are all too familiar for the nation of Mali.
The coup in 2012, led by then-captain Amadou Haya Sanogo, also involved mutated soldiers who broke into the Kati army’s legory, stole weapons and marched on the capital.
A French-led military operation fired Jihadi fighters and later forced Sanogo to hand over power to a civilian government, which organized the election that Keita won in 2013.
The current government has been criticized for its inability to stem a growing spread of Islamic militants in Mali – including a wave of deadly attacks in northern parts of the country last year, forcing the government to close vulnerable military posts.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned the actions and “demanded the immediate and unintentional release” of the Mali president and prime minister.
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“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a negotiated and peaceful solution to their differences,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. “He expresses his full support to the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States in their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis in Mali, including through the proper offices of its Special Representative.”
The United Nations Security Council has confirmed to Fox News that it will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the events in Mali.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
