In Mali, soldiers took control on Tuesday of a military camp near Bamako, raising fears of a coup attempt. According to these soldiers in revolt, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and his Prime Minister, Boubou Cissé, were "arrested" at the end of the afternoon in the capital.
“We can tell you that the president and prime ministers are under our control. We arrested them at his home ”(at the home of the Head of State), said the soldier, who requested anonymity. “IBK (President Keïta) and his Prime Minister are in an armored vehicle on their way to Kati”, a military camp where the mutiny began in the morning.
High-ranking army officers arrested
In the middle of the afternoon, the situation remained confused in the Malian capital and in its suburbs. One thing is certain: the soldiers took control in the morning of the Soundiata Keïta camp, located in Kati, about fifteen kilometers from Bamako. “Angry soldiers took up arms at Kati camp and fired in the air. They were numerous and very nervous, ”a doctor from the city hospital told AFP.
The reasons for this outburst were not immediately clear. These soldiers then sealed off access to the garrison, according to an AFP correspondent on the spot. A soldier who was among those who took control of the camp told AFP that they detained "several high-ranking army officers, arrested by the slingers".
After the announcement of the takeover of the Kati camp, demonstrators gathered on the Independence Square in Bamako, epicenter of the protest since June, to again demand the departure of President Keïta, a correspondent noted. from AFP. The law firm of the Minister of Justice, Kassoum Tapo, was set on fire.
A deep social crisis
For several weeks, a motley coalition of political opponents, religious guides and members of civil society has been stepping up demonstrations to demand the departure of President Keïta, accused of mismanagement. To this is added a "deleterious social situation", according to union leader Sidibé Dédéou Ousmane.
The Movement of June 5-Rassemblement des Forces patriotiques du Mali (M5-RFP), which leads this dispute, refused last Thursday a meeting with President Keïta, setting in particular as a prerequisite the end of the "repression" against his militants. On the weekend of July 10, a demonstration called for by the June 5 Movement degenerated into three days of deadly unrest.
Neighboring countries call for calm
The Community of West African States (ECOWAS), mediator in Mali, said in a statement to follow "with great concern" the situation, "with a mutiny unleashed in an already very complex socio-political context". The regional organization calls "the soldiers to return to their barracks without delay" and "recalls its firm opposition to any unconstitutional political change", inviting the "soldiers to remain in a republican posture".
France reacted, condemning this Tuesday "with the greatest firmness" the "mutiny" and reaffirming "with force its full attachment to Malian sovereignty and democracy", according to a statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs published. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed "his full support for the ongoing mediation efforts of ECOWAS," the Elysee said on Tuesday. The Head of State "is closely monitoring the situation and condemns the attempted mutiny in progress", added the presidency.
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