FG Angry, Condemns Detention of Malian President, Prime Minister by Soldiers
- The FG says the detention of the president of Mali by the military is wrong
- According to the Nigerian government, the military must release the arrested leaders immediately and without any condition
- Going further, the FG said the military action might derail peace-building efforts in the country
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A message has been sent to the military in Mali by the Nigerian federal government. The message is simple: Release President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane.
The Nigerian government made this known in a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, Channels TV reports.
Source: Twitter
FG says the release must be unconditional, The Sun Newspaper added.
The statement read:
“The federal government of Nigeria condemns in strong terms the detention of the duo of interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane of Mali.
“The two key officials in the transitional government of Mali were reportedly taken by soldiers to the Kati Military Camp near the Capital, Bamako on Monday, 24th May 2021.
“The action is totally unacceptable and might derail the peace-building efforts and timetable for the return of democratic governance in Mali."
Recall Legit.ng reported that the interim president of Mali, Bah N’Daw, and the nation's Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were detained by soldiers on Monday, May 24.
The arrest of the country's interim government officials followed a cabinet reshuffle in the sub-Saharan African country just nine months after its previous leader was toppled by a military coup.
Also recall that back in August 2020, the former prime minister of Mali, Boubou Cisse, and president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, were arrested by some mutinying soldiers.
The leader of the soldiers informed journalists on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, that Cisse and Keita were with them in Bamako, Mali's capital.
Confirming the development, a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed the president and the prime minister were put in an armoured vehicle.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Keita was forced out of the presidency as he finally tendered his resignation on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, amid political unrest in Mali, hours after his arrest.
In the early hours of Wednesday, former President Keita said he resigned from his position in order to avoid bloodshed and violence between his loyalists and the opposition.
European nations had condemned the development that saw the military take over.
The political tension in Mali, prior to the coup-like development, was a point of concern for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Source: Legit.ng
