By Staff Correspondent, BAMAKO Mali
The President of
Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, announced his immediate resignation on state
television late Tuesday, hours after he and the Prime Minister were reportedly
arrested by mutinous soldiers in a suspected coup.
Malian soldiers are celebrated as they arrive at the Independence square in Bamako on August 18
Tuesday's events sparked international condemnation and are likely to
further destabilize the West African nation, following months of
anti-government mass protests and a rising insurgency from Islamist militants.
Wearing a blue surgical mask amid the coronavirus pandemic, the
President said on national broadcaster ORTM that he had little choice but to
stand down to avoid bloodshed, and the country's national assembly and
government would now be dissolved.
"For seven years I have with great joy and happiness tried to put
this country back on its feet," Keita said. "If today some people
from the armed forces have decided to end it by their intervention, do I have a
choice? I should submit to it because I don't want any blood to be shed."
Troops arrested the President and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse in a
suspected coup earlier on Tuesday, according to the chairman of the African
Union Commission.
It followed reports of an attempted mutiny that morning at a military
camp 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) outside the capital city of Bamako, confirmed to
our reporter by a diplomatic source who had been briefed by local officials.
The source spoke on the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to
speak on the subject.
The source said the attempted mutiny took place in Kati, at the same
camp that a successful military coup was launched back in 2012.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister posted a plea to troops on
Facebook, asking the military to put down its arms and engage in dialogue.
President of Mali, Ibrahim
Boubacar Keita, announced his
immediate resignation
"The government calls for reason and a patriotic sense and asks for
the use of arms to be stopped. There are no problems that cannot be solved in
dialogue," the Prime Minister wrote, in a statement that appears to have
been posted before his reported detention.
The AUC's Moussa Faki Mahamat condemned news of the arrests, in a
tweet posted Tuesday.
"I strongly condemn the arrest of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita,
the Prime Minister and other members of the Malian Government and call for
their immediate release," Mahamat wrote.
He added that he called on "the mutineers to cease all use of
violence," and asked the international community to oppose any use of
force.
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to
discuss the situation on Wednesday, two UN diplomat sources said.
The UN talks were requested by France and Niger, according to the
diplomatic sources. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, as they
were not authorized to speak on the subject.
Crowds took to the streets in Bamako throughout the day on Tuesday,
surrounding the capital city's independence monument. In footage of the city,
protesters on motorbikes could be seen cheering at news of the suspected coup,
while some opposition supporters celebrated with Malian flags and vuvuzelas.
Elsewhere, more than a thousand people gathered outside the president's
house, though they were prevented from entering by soldiers. However,
protesters did enter and loot the empty house of Keita's son Karim, which is
located nearby. Karim Keita resigned in July from his post as head of
parliament's defence committee amid a spike of violence and calls for his
father's resignation.
A building owned by Mali's Minister of Justice was also looted and set
on fire.
Mali's 75-year-old President Keita has faced growing public discontent
since May, after the country's top constitutional court overturned results from disputed
parliamentary elections, paving the way for Keita's party to occupy a majority
of the vacant seats.
Disputes over the polls have also sparked post-electoral violence in
several districts in the capital and other towns in March.
The discontent has also been driven by economic issues and young people fed up with rising unemployment. Mali's has a young population -- around half of the country's 19 million people are under the age of 18, according to the UN Children Fund (UNICEF). And 42.7% of the country live in extreme poverty, according to the World Bank.
Mali previously faced a major rebellion in 2012, after a coup staged by
mid-ranking army officers opened an opportunity for Jihadi groups and rebels
from the country's long marginalized Tuareg ethnic minority to take over a
significant part of the country.
Mali shares borders with Algeria, Niger and Mauritania, and all four
countries have struggled with the growing presence of Islamist groups in the
region.
The European Union on Tuesday condemned the apparent "coup
attempt" underway in Mali.
"The European Union condemns the coup attempt underway in Mali and
rejects any unconstitutional change," EU High Representative for Foreign
Affairs Josep Borrell said in a statement.
"This can in no way be an answer to the deep socio-political crisis
that has hit Mali for several months," he said.
The French and United States embassies in Mali on Tuesday warned
citizens to stay home amid the violence.
"The US Embassy is aware of gunfire and unrest in the area of Kati,
as well as ongoing police/military operations in Bamako," the US embassy
said in a statement.
"There have been multiple reports of gunfire throughout the city as
well as reports of soldiers driving in trucks and firing their weapons in the
air. There are continued reports of demonstrators gathered at the Monument de
L'Independance. The US recommends all US citizens avoid these areas, if
possible."
And US Africa Command said it was aware of the suspected coup. The US
has a limited number of personnel in Mali, who primarily perform counter
terrorism activities with local and international partners.
"We are aware of the events in Mali. All US service members are
accounted for. We will continue to monitor this situation," US Africa
Command said in a statement Tuesday. - Africa
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