"Mali no longer has the right to make mistakes." Surrounded by armed soldiers, Colonel Assimi Goita, presented himself, Wednesday, August 19, as the head of the junta, the day after the coup d'état which overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and his Prime Minister. "Let me introduce myself: I am Colonel Assimi Goita, the president of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP)," he told reporters at the end of the afternoon.

"Mali is in a situation of socio-political and security crisis. We no longer have the right to make mistakes. We, by making this intervention yesterday, we put the country above (everything), the Mali first, "he said. The officer appeared on television on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday when a group of soldiers announced the creation of the CNSP, but he did not speak.

Colonel Goita spoke for the first time on Wednesday after meeting with senior officials at the headquarters of the Defense Ministry. "It was my duty to meet the various secretaries general so that we could assure them of our support in relation to the continuity of State services," he explained. "Following yesterday's event which resulted in the change of power, it was our duty to give our position to these general secretaries so that they can work," he continued.

"We want the stability of the country"

During a press briefing earlier in the afternoon, CNSP spokesperson Colonel-Major Ismaël Wagué called on Malians to "go about their business freely" and "resume their activities in a healthy way" . He also asked "to immediately stop the acts of vandalism and destruction of public buildings" and promised to take "all measures" against "any wearer of a uniform who will be caught in the act of racketeering" .

"We are not keen on power but we are keen on the stability of the country which will allow us to carry out general elections within a reasonable agreed time frame to allow Mali to equip itself with strong institutions capable of managing our daily lives as well as possible and restoring confidence between the government and the governed, "he continued.

>> To read also: "In Mali, from the political crisis to the military coup"

The putschists are under pressure from the international community. The African Union announced Wednesday the suspension of Mali from the organization "until the restoration of constitutional order", while the UN Security Council called on the mutinous soldiers "to return to their barracks without delay" and to release "immediately" all the arrested leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron also reacted in the evening, saying that "the fight against terrorist groups and the defense of democracy and the rule of law are inseparable".

With AFP

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