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country already struggling with a brutal
Islamist insurgency and widespread
public discontent over its government.
The meeting between the ousted Malian
leader and the three ECOWAS delegation
members, led by former president of
Nigeria, Goodluck Johnathan failed
to yield the desired results. The coup
leaders seem to be digging in for the
long haul.
The ECOWAS envoys met with Mali’s
military junta, including new strongman
Colonel Assimi Goita. The meeting President Ibrahim Boubacar and Colonel Assimi Goita, CNSP, leader
lasted half-an-hour, according to Malian
sources.
Mali’s neighbours have called for Keïta of the political instability and briefly against president Keita leading to the
to be reinstated, saying the purpose seize large swaths of land in the north. coup. The opposition coalition of civil
of the delegation’s visit was to help It is the loss of territory that have and religious leaders are demanding that
“ensure the immediate return of precipitated the currently evolving the military rulers give it a role in the
constitutional order”, this however, has situation, with armed groups linked to transition to civilian rule, but had not
been complicated by his resignation. ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda capitalizing on been invited for transition talks.
Accordingly, all that can happen if for intercommunal tensions as they jockey Upon pressure political parties, former
ECOWAS to call be a speedy return to for control of Mali’s semi-arid centre.
civilian democratic rule. While the coup may bring about hope rebels, unions, civil society organizations
On arrival in the Malian capital, social and political reforms demanded and media representatives are now
Bamako, the ECOWAS delegation, ws during the mass anti-Keita protests, the included in planned talks on transition.
granted access to Keïta, who seemed to reality is that the Junta, on its own, cannot France, which has for years been
have given up the hope of ever returning solve the multiple military conflicts in militarily the most active international
to power.”We have seen President Keita” the country›s vast north and central power in its former colony, has
Jonathan told told the media, adding region. also called for a truncated timeline,
that “the negotiations are going well”. Moreover, the coup has cast into with Defence Minister Florence Parly
Mali has faced instability and rebellion uncertainty Mali’s political future, saying the transition should take place
since in 2012, after a coup staged by raising fears the effects of heightened within “a matter of months”.
mid-ranking army officers left the door instability could spill beyond the Parly is quoted saying:”If this does not
open for jihadi groups and rebels from borders, threatening the wider region. happen, the risk is that all this benefits
the country’s long-marginalized Tuareg The National Committee for terrorists first and foremost,” she told
ethnic minority the chance to take over the Salvation of the People (CNSP), the Europe-1 radio on Sunday. “Terrorists
a significant part of the country. military junta that has taken charge of feed on the weakness of states.”
the country, has promised to include During the 2012 coup, the then-military
Keita, who was elected in 2013 with the opposition and civil society in a rulers folded within 2 weeks amid
a mandate to pursue peace, is seen as transitional government leading to back international pressure and crippling
having squandered the goodwill he to civilian rule, pledging to have this in ECOWAS sanctions, with international
initially enjoyed. The peace deal he place within a “reasonable” timeframe. travel bans, withholdings of aid, and
helped broker did not give all sides a seat However, Mali’s neighbours and former the threat by northern separatists who
at the table, and his government became colonial ruler France are demanding a had declaration of an autonomous state,
mired in claims of corruption. swift transfer of power, with fears the seizing key northern cities.
Amid the political upheaval, the crisis could evolve into a regional crisis.
complex and escalating violence in The Economic Community of West Then, the military ceded power to a
Mali’s north and centre, a constant African States (ECOWAS) regional transitional authority led by the speaker
threat, the coup leaders swiftly declared bloc is negotiating the details of power of parliament, which ushered in the 2013
their intervention was meant to prevent transfer, but an agreement seem far from election that was won by Keita, who got
the country from plunging into chaos, sight,- despite the insistence ECOWAS re-elected five years later.
which they blamed on the government’s wants the transfer to happen within a
failure to tackle a series of overlapping year, and has stemmed money flows to As the situation unfolds, in the months
crises. the country to pressurize the military ahead, it is important that the coup
In the weeks leading up to the coup, out of leadership. against Toure, 8 years ago, was more of
tens of thousands of opposition The 15-nation regional bloc (ECOWAS) “a mutiny of the low-ranking officers
supporters had taken to the streets to has already imposed sanctions and and soldiers, there were no really
protest against a disputed parliamentary closed borders to Mali in the effort to get high-ranking officers implicated. This
election, persistent economic woes and the soldiers out of power quickly. coup is different, as it’s led by a high
a spiraling security crisis that erupted A summit held 5, September, was ranking officer, and it appears to be well
in 2012, when a previous coup allowed postponed after a quarrel between the organized. Assimi Goita, who is the head
northern Tuareg separatists, allied with military and the June 5 Movement, of the CNSP is a colonel in the Malian
an al-Qaeda offshoot, to take advantage which led the protests that led protests special forces.

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