In a surprise move, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has resigned on Tuesday after being detained by soldiers, the state media reported. Keita said in a televised address that he was also dissolving the country’s parliament. He further added that he wishes not to spill any blood over his grip on power.
This significant development comes a few hours after Prime Minister Boubou Cissé was taken to military camps near Bamako, Mali’s capital, drawing condemnation from France and several regional powers.
President Keita further added that he has no choice when certain elements in the military want to intervene. Earlier, the mutinying troops took control of the Kati camp. Over a continuing fight with Jihadist in the central Mali and payments issues, as well as widespread discontent with former President, anger has been brewing in the army.
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In the 2018 elections, President Keita won the second term in office, however, there has been frustration over mismanagement of the economy, corruption, and a significant surge in communal violence in parts of the country.
In recent months, it has promoted mass protests across the country. Meanwhile, a new opposition coalition led by a conservative Imam, Mahmoud Dicko, is also participating in protests. It has called for reforms after rejecting concessions from Keita, including the proposal of forming a unity government in a bid to end the political crisis.
BBC reported that the mutiny was led by the deputy head of the Kati camp, Col Malick Diaw, along with another key commander, Gen Sadio Camara. They first took over a camp near the capital Bamako, and then they marched towards the capital, where they were welcomed by cheering crowds demanding Keita’s resignation.
It further added that on Tuesday, the soldiers broke into the presidential residence and arrested both the President and his vice-president. Meanwhile, Keita’s son, the speaker of the national assembly, the finance and foreign ministers were also among those detained. However, the number of troops taking part in the mutiny is still unclear.
As soon as the news of mutiny broke out, the UN and the African Union called for an immediate release of those detained by the military commanders.
In 2012, Kati camp was also the center of the mutiny, when soldiers angered by the military’s failure to defeat Jihadist fighters and rebels, they took control of northern Mali. On Wednesday, the UN Security Council will meet to discuss the latest developments in the African country.
Meanwhile, a regional body of 15 states, Economic Community of West African States, said that all members have agreed to close their borders with Mali on immediate notice. In recent months, the body has been a key mediator between Keita’s government and opposition.
France, the African country’s former colonizer, was quick to condemn the detentions. Moreover, the French foreign minister urged the soldiers to return to barracks. Mali is important for Paris because it serves as a key base for its soldier fighting the Jihadists groups across the Sahel region.
