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The leaders of the military junta, which took power for the first time in August 2020, have just renewed themselves. Their leader, Assimi Goïta, told foreign mediators who came to see him on Wednesday, May 26, that he himself took matters into his own hands at the moment after the departure of Bah N’Daws and Moctar Ouane. What is its room for maneuver vis-à-vis the Malian political class and the international community?
A security in Mali: the strong man of the moment is called Assimi Goïta, says our correspondent in Bamako, Serge Daniel. When the mediation delegation met him on Wednesday, May 26, in his office, he clearly indicated that he was taking matters into his own hands for the time being, as interim President Bah N’Daw resigned, as did Prime Minister Moctar Ouane.
Lead the transition to completion?
And maybe even if he can lead the transition to its end, Assimi Goïta will not hesitate. But he needs allies, and he has already tested the waters. To the delegate of mediators, the junta leader did not hide the fact that he intends to govern specifically with the M5-RFP, a movement made up of parties and associations that all contributed to the fall of the former president, Ibrahim. Boubacar Keita.
Colonel Goïta has already received officials from the M5. But one edge of this movement condemns the coup and does not intend to work with it at the moment in any case. Several other political parties are on the same line. The coup has also been condemned by human rights organizations. Assimi Goïta must also face international sanctions. The United States, for example, has already stopped its military cooperation.
Security Council disaster meeting
Meanwhile in New York, writes our correspondent Carrie Nooten, the Security Council met as soon as possible, at the request of France and the A3 Group. In a statement, he condemned the abolition of the transitional authorities – without proposing sanctions.
More than 48 hours after the arrest of the interim president and prime minister of Mali, the Security Council unanimously yesterday called for the “safe, immediate and unconditional” release of all Malaysian representatives detained by security and military forces. The diplomats also urged these forces to return to their barracks “without delay” before declaring that “introducing a change of direction by force, including through forced departures, was unacceptable”.
The Council called for an “immediate resumption” of the Mali-led transition: there is no question for him to delay the 18-month deadline set for organizing new elections. And he reiterated his support for regional organizations in their resolution of this crisis, which began in August last year, an extra summit with ECOWAS could also be convened soon. Security Council diplomats, however, failed to agree on possible retaliatory measures against the soldiers led by Assimi Goïta.
Life goes on, though
Despite expectations at the top of the state after the coup, life for Bamakois continues. Shops, services and schools function normally even if the population fears being affected by this political-institutional crisis, writes one of our correspondents in Bamako, Kaourou Magassa.
In front of a private faculty in Bamako, dozens of students discuss while they are inside a fair and an open day. News is the core of their discussions. Security crisis, repeated strikes, but also institutional vacuum hinder their vision of the future.
“One country on this road, one president resigns all the time, another comes to the throne, frankly there, who worries me, who worries me, of course. While the others are there to move forward, we are here to go back, because of that we suffer. Because of these situations of poor organization, that is why, they say.
Further ahead, sitting in an armchair with a glass of tea in hand, Souleymane Tolo takes a break from making wicker baskets. The dozens of household items displayed along with it are sold directly to road dealers in this informal outdoor workshop. This activity allows her to meet her needs, but the news they have seen since this morning worries her.
“If ECOWAS imposes sanctions,” he says, “the people will be affected more than the authorities at the top. Everyone is looking for their daily bread from day to day, the Malays live that way. If the borders are closed, it will be very difficult for us. ”
No sanction has yet been decided by the subregional organization. In an attempt to calm the population, the Ministry of Security has also denied rumors of a curfew and the closure of the country’s land and air borders in a press release yesterday.
► Read also: Departures from Bah N’Daw and Moctar Ouane: Mali threatened with sanctions
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