Mali to reopen land, air borders

BAMAKO, Mali

The National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), a transitional governing body set up by Malian soldiers, informed Thursday night that the land and air borders of Mali are to reopen on Friday.

In a short press release signed by its vice-president Colonel Malick Diaw (pictured), the CNSP announced the reopening of Mali’s land and air borders beginning at midnight Friday morning.

The new governing body of Mali said that all security measures have been taken in order to “assure the good circulation of people and their goods.”

A few hours after the forced resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Tuesday, the CNSP made its first public statement.

Colonel-Major Ismael Wague, as the spokesman for the CNSP, announced a series of measures, including the immediate closure of the country’s land and air borders until further notice, and a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Strongly condemning the overthrowing of Keita’s democratically elected government, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decided Tuesday evening to close all land and air borders, as well as to stop all economical, trade and financial flows and transactions between the ECOWAS member states and Mali, until the effective reinstatement of the constitutional order in Mali.