The Malaysian military arrested the president, prime minister and defense minister of the African country’s caretaker government on Monday after a change of government, several diplomatic sources and government sources told Reuters, indicating that a coup was on the way.
President Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and Defense Minister Souleymane Doucoure were all taken to a military base in Kati outside the capital, Bamako, hours after two military members lost their positions in a change of government, diplomatic and government sources said. Their detention followed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s military deportation in August.
Speculation about a coup swirled around Bamako late Monday, but the city remained relatively calm. Prime Minister Ouane, who was reached by telephone shortly before the line was cut, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that soldiers “came to get him.”
Developments could exacerbate instability in the West African country, where terrorist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh control large areas of the desert north. Political instability and military strife have complicated the efforts of Western powers and neighboring countries to support the poor nation, contributing to regional insecurity.
The UN mission in Mali called for the group’s “immediate and unconditional” release, saying those in charge must be held accountable for their actions.
A delegation from the best regional decision-making body of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will visit Bamako on Tuesday to help resolve the “coup attempt”, said ECOWAS, the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and several European countries. in a joint statement.
“The international community rejects in advance all acts imposed by force, including forced departures,” the group said.
EU leaders condemned what they called the “kidnapping” of Mali’s civilian leadership, said European Council President Charles Michel. “What happened was serious and serious and we are ready to consider the necessary action,” he told reporters after a summit with the bloc’s 27 leaders, describing the events as “the kidnapping of the president and prime minister.”
In a statement, the US State Department called for the “unconditional release of those currently being held”.
Ndaw and Ouane had been tasked with overseeing an 18-month transition to civilian rule after the August takeover, but they appear to have moved against the military’s control of a number of key positions. Two coup leaders – former Defense Minister Sadio Camara and former Security Minister Colonel Modibo Kone – were replaced. Coup leaders and army officers have had a significant influence over the government and have doubted a promise to hold elections early next year.
“The dismissal of the pillars was a huge misjudgment,” a senior Malian government official told Reuters. “The measures are likely to get them back on track.”
The military’s end goal was not immediately clear. A military official in Kati said this was not an arrest. “What they have done is not good,” the source said, referring to the change of government. “We will notify them, a decision will be made.”
Kati’s military base is notorious for ending the rule of the Malian leaders. In August last year, the military took President Keita to Kati and forced him to resign. A mutiny there helped overthrow its predecessor Amadou Toumani Toure in 2012. Mali has been in turmoil ever since.
Toure’s departure sparked an ethnic Tuareg uprising to seize the northern thirds of the country, which was hijacked by al-Qaeda-linked terrorists. French forces repulsed the rebels in 2013, but they have since regrouped and carry out regular attacks on the army and civilians. They have exported their methods to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger where the attacks have soared since 2017.
There seemed to be a reason for optimism. The transitional government said last month that it would hold legislative and presidential elections in February 2022 to restore a democratic government. “It is unfortunate, but not surprising: the arrangement agreed after the coup last year was not perfect, but it was a compromise that all major Malian and international stakeholders agreed on,” said J. Peter Pham, former US special envoy said Sahel, now with the Atlantic Council, to Reuters.
Young military officers fired Keita on August 18 after weeks of protests over perceived corruption by the government and his handling of Mali’s uprising. After the 15-nation West African bloc ECOWAS threatened sanctions, the military junta handed over power to a caretaker government that promised to reform the constitution and hold elections within 18 months. Coup leader Assimi Goita was appointed Vice President of the Guard Administration, and the interim president, Bah Ndaw, is a retired army officer.
Many have questioned whether the military-dominated government has the will or the ability to implement reforms in a short time. Among other problems, the great nation faces a great logistical and security challenge, as the territories are in the hands of the terrorists.
Doubts remained despite the interim government last month promising to hold a constitutional referendum on October 31, with elections to follow in February next year. On May 14, in growing anger, the government said it would appoint a new “broad-based” cabinet.
An official at Mali’s interim presidency, who requested anonymity, said the exchange was designed to send a message that “respect for the deadline for the transition remains a priority.” He also stressed the need to replace the Ministers of Defense and Security. “They are not emblematic figures of the junta,” the official said, referring to the newly appointed ministers.
In an example of growing concern, the opposition M5 movement, which led protests against Keita 2020, this month called for the dissolution of the interim government and demanded a “more legitimate” body. But the M5 is divided. Two members of the Union for the Republic and Democracy Party – part of the M5 – were appointed interim ministers on Monday.
Civil disputes in Mali are also increasing the pressure created by political strife. The country’s largest union, UNTM, called for a second week of strikes on Monday after wage negotiations with the caretaker government collapsed.
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