AU, ECOWAS Warn Mali Military Against Truncating Mali’s Transition To Democracy

Chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat has reacted to the detention of top political leaders in Mali by the military, saying that such development has the potential to truncate progress towards democracy and will never be accepted by both the AU and the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS).

THE WHISTLER earlier reported that after a government reshuffle on Monday, military operatives in the country detained the president, prime minister and defence minister of the interim government, President Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and Souleymane Doucoure, respectively.

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Sources told Reuters that the army acted that way because they were dissatisfied with the reshuffling which led to the removal of two of its military leadership.

But Mahamat, in a statement on Tuesday, stated that the army should embrace dialogue rather than trying to overturn the agreement reached with regional and international bodies regarding transiting to democratic rule within twelve months.

“They strongly condemn this extremely serious act which cannot in any case be tolerated with regard to the relevant provisions of the #CEDEAO + AU.

“The Presidents demand the immediate and unconditional release of the Authorities kept in the barracks and invite the Malian parties to favor the spirit of dialogue and invite the Malian parties to favor the spirit of dialogue and responsibility to resolve misunderstandings surrounding the establishment of the Government.

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“In any event,…respect for the political consensus which has so far founded the transition in Mali is the only path to be favored,” the statement partly read.

Recall that prior to the swearing in of Bah Ndaw (as interim president) on September 25, ECOWAS and the international community gave the interim government a period of 12 months to return the country to constitutional order.

THE WHISTLER reported that the decision was reached after mutinying soldiers had in a military coup in August removed the country’s Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse, and the President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, from office.

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