2021 Malian coup d'état
| 2021 Malian coup d'état | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Mali War | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Government of Mali |
Malian Armed Forces | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
|
Bah Ndaw Moctar Ouane Souleymane Doucoure |
Assimi Goita | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||
2021 Malian coup d'état is an ongoing conflict that started on the night of 24 May 2021 when the Malian army captured president Ba N'Daw[1][2], prime minister Moctar Ouane and minister of defence Souleymane Doucoure.[3]
This is the country's third coup d'etat in ten years, following the 2012 and 2020 military takeovers.
Context
Nine months prior to the coup, in August 2020, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta was removed from power by a military alliance. This followed months of unrest in Mali following irregularities in the March and April parliamentary elections and the arrest of opposition leader Soumaila Cissé.[4] On 18 August 2020, Members of the military led by Colonel Assimi Goïta and Colonel-Major Ismaël Wagué in Kati, Koulikoro Region began a mutiny. President Keïta, and Prime Minister Boubou Cissé were arrested, and shortly after midnight Keïta announced his resignation, saying he did not want to see any bloodshed.
Following Keita's resignation, on behalf of the military officers, Wagué announced the formation of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), and promised to hold elections in the near future. On 12 September 2020, the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) agreed to an 18-month political transition to civilian rule.[5] Shortly after, Bah N'daw was named interim president by a group of 17 electors, with Goïta being appointed vice president. The government was inaugurated on 25 September 2020.[5]
On 18 January 2021, the transitional government announced that the CNSP had been disbanded, almost four months after had been promised under the initial agreement.[6]
Coup
Tensions have been high between the civilian transitional government and the military since the handover of power in September.
On 24th May, tensions came to a head after a cabinet reshuffle. In the reshuffle, the military's power was not changed, however two leaders of the coup - Sadio Camara and Modibo Kone - were replaced by N'daw's administration.[7]
Later that day, increased military activity was reported by several sources, including the US Embassy in Bamako, though the city remained relatively calm. Several journalists reported that three key civilian leaders - N'daw, Ouane and Doucore, were being detained in a military base in Kati, outside Bamako.[8]
Neither the military nor the government has released a statement.
Response
The coup has been roundly condemned by the international community.
The United Nations, through its MINUSMA peacekeeping mission, quickly condemned the coup and called for calm across the nation.[1] In addition, ECOWAS, the European Union, the United States, and the African Union, have also issued statements which condemn the coup and call for the release of the politicians.[9][7]
See also
- 1968 Malian coup d'état
- 1991 Malian coup d'état
- 2020 in Mali
- 2020 Malian protests
- List of coups d'état and coup attempts since 2010
Explanatory notes
Citations
- ^ a b UN calls for immediate release of Mali President Bah Ndaw, BBC News, 25 May 2021
- ^ France24
- ^ [1] The Guardian
- ^ News, A. B. C. "Thousands in Mali's capital demand that president step down". ABC News. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ a b "Mali: President Bah N'Daw decrees the dissolution of the CNSP". The Africa Report.com. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ Africa, CGTN. "Mali junta disbanded five months after coup". CGTN Africa. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ a b "EU condemns 'grave and serious' kidnapping of Mali's leaders". the Guardian. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Mali's military detains president, prime minister". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "UN calls for immediate release of Mali President Bah Ndaw". BBC News. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
