Another coup in Mali

A new coup occurred Monday evening in Mali, only nine months after the previous coup. Army soldiers arrested President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Mukhtar Awan on demand Colonel Assimi Goïta, the same soldier who led the coup last August. So far, Goïta has held the position of vice president in the transitional government: he has also tried to establish himself as head of the executive branch, but ECOWAS – the Economic Community of West African States, which brokered the transition agreement – insisted that a civilian leader be appointed and had threatened sanctions otherwise.

Gotha breached the accords on Monday, effectively seizing power and re-establishing military control over the civilian government. It is not clear what countermeasures ECOWAS will take now: At the moment, a delegation from the organization has arrived in the capital, Bamako, and visited Ndao and Awan, who are currently held at the Kati military base. Sources of the Malian Army They knew Those who formally resigned from Nendau and Awan during the visit, possibly in an attempt to facilitate their release. The military also said negotiations were underway to form a new government.

The United Nations, the European Union and the United States condemned the coup, which French President Emmanuel Macron described as a “coup in the coup.” Of course, among the most interested is the French government, which in 2012 sent soldiers to help the Malian army fight Islamist armed groups, operating mainly in the north of the country.

The first coup led by Guetta was welcomed by a large part of Mali’s population: it came after weeks of protests against then-president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was accused of corruption and electoral fraud and was deemed responsible for the country’s economy. crisis.

This latest coup took place a few hours after Prime Minister Awani announced a government reshuffle, in which some army officers who participated in the August coup were replaced. The cabinet reshuffle was also decided due to a major national strike that in recent days hindered some important sectors of the economy, in which bankers and state employees participated, among others.

Colonel Gotha, who spoke as the country’s leader through a statement read by his advisor on public television, said that the government reshuffle had been decided without consulting him and that Ndaw and Awan were trying to block the country’s transition. He also said that the next elections will be held in February 2022 as planned.