Former President Of Ghana Jerry Rawlings Counsels Mali Junta

BAMAKO, Mali

A delegation of four leaders of the Mali Junta flew to Ghana and met former President, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings for advice on how to manage their country.

A four-man delegation of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) led by its Chairman, Colonel Assimi Goïta called on him on Tuesday.

Rawlings advised the new Malian leadership to mobilise their people into taking up productive activity through a positive vision to boost the country’s development.

The former Ghanaian leader wants the Malian military leaders to empower and encourage the people to own their political climate and to improve on the quality of multiparty democracy that Western powers “have hung around our necks.

“The level of corruption that has become an integral part of multiparty democracy has created a general climate of stress and tension that may destabilize some areas in our region. It is unfortunate that the world is being forced into multiparty democracy with corruption and violence rather than other forms of democratic practices with none or minimal corruption. Unfortunately, the West appears to favour corruptible political tendencies in order to continue to dominate our security and economy,” the former President stated.

He said he was dutifully passing on ECOWAS leadership’s concerns while sharing his own political experiences and observations.

On 15 May 1979, five weeks prior to civilian elections in Ghana, Rawlings and six other soldiers staged a coup against the government of General Fred Akuffo, but failed and was arrested by the Ghanaian Military.

Rawlings was part of the Free Africa Movement, an underground movement of military officers who wanted to unify Africa through a series of coups.

He was publicly sentenced to death in a General Court Martial and imprisoned, although his statements on the social injustices that motivated his actions won him civilian sympathy.

While awaiting his execution, Rawlings was sprung from custody on 4 June 1979 by a group of soldiers. They claimed the government was corrupt beyond redemption and that new leadership was required for Ghana’s development, he led the group in a coup to oust the Akuffo Government and Supreme Military Council.

The Malian Junta has definitely received wise counsel from former President Rawlings.

The meeting took place after ECOWAS leaders held an Extraordinary meeting with the Malian leadership at Peduase in Ghana, to discuss political developments in Mali. Colonel Assimi Goïta was accompanied by Colonel Ismaël Wagué, Major Talibe Konte and Captain Demba N’daw. Also present was the Malian Ambassador to Ghana, Abdoul Kader Toure.