Mali’s President and Prime Minister Removed By Mali Military
Mali’s President and Prime Minister resign after Mali military takes over and removes them from office.
Mali’s pursuit for a transition to democratic governance has hit a significant period of uncertainty after the President and Prime minister were detained by Mali military. Colonel Assini Goita, Mali’s former coup leader and the present interim vice president took control of the West African nation on Tuesday 24th May after sacking the President (Bah Ndaw) and Prime Minister (Moctar Ouane) of the transitional government.
Assini indicates that the military took this step following the President’s move to announce a cabinet reshuffle without seeking permission from the military. Goita also indicated that the elections will proceed as scheduled.
Sources indicate that President Bah Ndaw and prime minister Moctar Ouane were put under arrest and moved to one of the military bases located outside Bamako, the country’s capital. Goita’s move has stirred condemnation from key international players including the African Union and the United Nations.
More Uncertainty and Chaos In The World
It is said that the detention came only hours after the presidency had initiated a cabinet reshuffle which excluded two soldiers who were at the forefront of the August 2020 coup. The event raised massive fears of a second militaristic takeover in Bamako.
The interim presidency announced on Monday that it had left Defense Minister Sadio Camara and Interior Security Minister Modibo Kone from the list of appointees. The two men are said to have been prominent junta members and close allies of Goita. It is this decision that made the military to round up the President and Prime minister only hours after this announcement was made.
The military has not availed any immediate comment regarding the detentions. However, most of the diplomatic organizations in the West African state have urged citizens to stay indoors.
What is Next For Mali?
The detention raises a range of concerns on whether the current political unrest may thwart the efforts made by both local and international stakeholders to put the long-lasting Islamic insurgencies experienced in Mali under control.
While the United Nations dedicates over $1.2 billion every year on its peacekeeping operations in the West African country, the French military has spent over eight years in this jurisdiction dedicating its efforts towards making its former colony a stable state despite the ever increasing threats.
Conversely, the European Union, France, and the United States have condemned the act while calling for the immediate release of the detained leaders. It is expected that a delegation from ECOWAS will visit Bamako on Tuesday to resolve the matter. It is necessary to point out this is yet another event among many of this type in Mali.
But what differentiates it this time is the rise of chaos generally across the world. For instance, Malaysia is another nation that fell to its respective military earlier in 2021. There are several instances of military takeovers across different nations in the world today and leadership changes in many countries. All the while Chinese aggression looms near India in places like Bhutan, Tibet, and Pakistan. All this is taking place as more individuals around the world rely on their respective governments to intervene and take action due COVID-19 lock downs.
