Assimi Goita, the man who ousted Mali’s President Bah N’Daw last year, wrested power from him on Tuesday. On Monday, President Bah N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were arrested by soldiers and brought to the military headquarters in Kati, about 15 kilometres outside the capital.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron called the move a coup d’etat and warned of repercussions.
The coup has raised concerns that it could lead to fresh political unrest and undermine efforts to bring down Mali’s long-running Islamic insurgency.
“We are prepared to take targeted sanctions on the protagonists,” Macron tweeted.
Keita. Last August, the military had forced President Keita to resign after he was taken to the Kati military camp. His predecessor Amadou Toumani Toure was also ousted in a coup in 2012 following a mutiny in the same military base, which is notorious for ending the rule of Malian leaders.
The EU told AP that it was “ready to consider targeted measures against political and military leaders who obstruct the Malian transition”. The leaders were detained hours after a cabinet reshuffle that saw two military leaders being replaced.
The international community has put out a strongly worded statement warning Mali’s military leaders that their actions could undermine global support for the country. A joint statement by the African Union, United Nations, the EU, France and the US called for the immediate release of the president and prime minister.
Goita told BBC that he should have been named Vice President and that he should have been consulted for the reshuffle.
West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) reaffirmed their support for Mali’s transitional government.
ECOWAS also warned the military government that the sanctions would be imposed if a civilian president and prime minister weren’t appointed and the transitional period would be shortened to 18 months.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the immediate release of the detained civilian leaders.
“This action has serious consequences for Mali and the region as a whole,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
