The president, the prime minister and the other Malian transitional leaders arrested on Monday will be released "
gradually,
" an adviser to the real strongman in power, Colonel Assimi Goïta, who was behind their arrest said on Wednesday (May 26th).
Speaking to the press, Baba Cissé, adviser to Assimi Goïta, did not specify when President Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane but also the new Minister of Defense they had just chosen would be released, as well. that high personalities arrested at the same time as them.
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A number of important Mali partners and the UN Security Council have demanded their immediate and unconditional release.
Baba Cissé reiterated that the president and the prime minister had resigned, without anyone knowing under what conditions they did so.
"
After the resignation of the President and the Prime Minister, the detainees will regain their freedom, this will be done gradually for obvious security reasons
," he declared.
Assimi Goïta arrested these officials in what amounts to a second coup in nine months. Baba Cissé invoked "
deep differences both on form and substance
" and "
blockages
" to which the transitional president would have given himself, for example against the preparation of the upcoming elections or the arrest of officials suspected of "
bad financial management
”.
He appeared to confirm that the colonels who carried out the August 2020 putsch had taken it wrong that the president and the prime minister had dismissed two of them from key positions in the government which they announced on Monday. There were "
dismissals or abusive changes
" which could "
result in the demoralization of the troops and a certain break in the chain of command,
" he said. However, he said nothing about the governance to come, while speculation is rife on Colonel Goïta's intention to assume the role of president.
