Mali: what you need to know about the "attempted coup"

A new coup d'état in Mali?

The soldiers of the African country, unhappy with the new government, arrested President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane on Monday, in a coup shaking the country plunged for years into a deep crisis.

Much of the international community “strongly condemned the attempted coup” and “demanded the immediate and unconditional release” of the two leaders.

We take stock.

Forcibly conducted by the military

Bah Ndaw and Moctar Ouane were taken with certain collaborators under duress by soldiers to the Kati military camp, a few kilometers from Bamako, the center of the Malian military apparatus. This is where the elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta was forcibly brought on August 18, 2020 by coup colonels to announce his resignation. These are, it seems, the same colonels who are on the maneuver nine months later, but their intentions are not known.

The Prime Minister had indicated earlier that he had been taken away by the military.

"I confirm: men from Goïta came to get me to take me to the president who lives not far from my residence", said Moctar Ouane in a brief telephone exchange, referring to the strong Malian man, Colonel Assimi. Goïta, current vice-president of the transition.

The conversation then broke off.

The two heads of the transitional executive were then escorted to Kati, where a senior military official corroborated their presence.

Bamako was buzzing with rumors of a coup that are difficult to confirm, and international missions have issued messages of caution.

The capital, which with Mali experienced its fourth coup in August 2020 since independence, however presented an air of relative normality on Monday evening.

Many international reactions

The United Nations mission in Mali, the Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union affirmed in a joint statement. "Their firm support for the transitional authorities" in the face of this "attempted coup" in progress.

They rejected in advance any fait accompli, including a possible forced resignation of the arrested leaders.

In a joint statement, the international community "strongly condemns" this "coup".

“The military elements that detain them will be held personally responsible for their security.

»Pic.twitter.com/CKh2LH2Uke

- Paul Lorgerie (@PLorger) May 24, 2021

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, in a tweet called for “calm” in Mali and the “unconditional release” of its civilian leaders, arrested during the day by the military.

According to diplomats, the UN Security Council could hold an emergency meeting in the coming days on the situation in Mali.

Deeply concerned about the detention of civilian leaders of the Malian transition.

I call for calm and their unconditional release.

My Special Representative is working with ECOWAS, the AU and international actors supporting the ongoing political transition.

https://t.co/82dIXDcAD4

- António Guterres (@antonioguterres) May 25, 2021

The ECOWAS mediator, Goodluck Jonathan, is announced on Tuesday in Bamako, we learned from diplomatic sources.

Explosive background

These events occurred just hours after the announcement of a new government, still dominated by the military, but from which officers close to the junta which had seized power after the August 2020 coup were dismissed and of which Assimi Goïta was the leader.

The colonels had installed transitional authorities after a few weeks, including a president, Bah Ndaw - a retired soldier -, and a government headed by Moctar Ouane, a civilian.

They had pledged, reluctantly and under pressure from the international community, to return power to elected civilians after 18 months, not three years as they deemed necessary.

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Faced with a growing political and social protest, the Prime Minister presented the resignation of his government ten days ago and was immediately reappointed by the transitional president Ndaw, with the mission of forming an opening team.

The great unknown was the place that would be given to the military, in particular to those close to the former junta, and concern has grown in recent days that the colonels are not satisfied with the choices of Moctar Ouane.

They ask the President of the #PT Transition to get rid of his PM and form a new government.

The PT vetoed it by refusing to let go of its head of government.

Discussions are still ongoing.

To be continued...

- KONATE Malick (@ konate90) May 24, 2021

"By this reshuffle, the transitional president and his Prime Minister wanted to send a firm message: respecting the deadline for the transition remains the priority", explained a source close to the presidency who requested anonymity.

In mid-April, the transitional authorities announced the organization on October 31 of a referendum on a long-promised constitutional revision and set for February-March 2022 the presidential and legislative elections at the end of which they would return to power. to civilian leaders.

Doubt persists, however, as to their ability to keep their agenda, all the more so in a context where jihadist and other violence continues unabated, where political protest is once again emerging and signs of social discontent are accumulating.