Mali Crisis: Jonathan Visits, Briefs Buhari Again

–Opposition Group, M5’s Demand, Not Workable -Ex-President

President Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan, met at the State House, Abuja, again on Tuesday over the political crisis in Mali.

Jonathan is the Economic Community of West African States’ Special Envoy on the crisis in Mali.

The State House said Jonathan visited Buhari this time round to give him updates on the peace efforts put in place by ECOWAS leaders to resolve the crisis.

Recall that last month, Buhari and four other ECOWAS leaders had met in Bamako, Mali, over the crisis.

They also later held a virtual extraordinary summit of the sub-regional body to hold further talks.

“Dr Jonathan, who was in Mali from Monday to Thursday, last week, recounted his meetings with the stakeholders, including political and religious leaders, Ambassadors of US, France, Russia, Germany, European Union, and other important personalities key to peace and cohesion in the country.

“The main opposition group, M5, he said, continued to insist on the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a position not acceptable to ECOWAS, which insisted only on democratic process in change of power within its jurisdiction”, the State House said after Jonathan and Buhari emerged from Tuesday’s meeting.

Commenting on the outcome of his latest trip to Mali, Jonathan stated, “We told them that no international organisation, including the African Union (AU), United Nations (UN), and others, would agree with their position.

“We continued to emphasise the need for dialogue.”

Presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, quoting the former President further, said he spoke of how the Constitutional Court (in Mali) had been reconstituted and inaugurated, while vacancies in the Supreme Court had been filled.

He noted that this meant that one of the issues fuelling the crisis, the composition of the judicial arm of government, had been resolved.

Buhari earlier praised Jonathan for “the stamina” he had “displayed” on the Mali issue.

He added that more consultations with the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic, were needed to continue to pust the peace efforts.