Mali ... the revolutionaries choose their leader and the African Union freezes the country's membership

Colonel Assimi Guetta declared himself the leader of the military coup that overthrew Mali President Abu Bakr Keita on Tuesday evening, while the African Union decided to suspend Mali's membership in all its activities until the restoration of constitutional order, and the Security Council demanded the coup leaders to immediately release the financial officials and return to their barracks without delay.

The French Press Agency reported that Colonel Guetta said today, after a meeting with senior officials in the Ministry of Defense, that he is the head of the National Committee for the Rescue of the People, which is the committee established by the coup military men yesterday after they seized power.

And Guetta appeared yesterday night among a group of officers, one of whom announced in a televised speech that the coup had been carried out, and Colonel Ismail Waghi, Assistant Chief of Staff of the Air Force, pledged to restore civilian rule by organizing general elections within reasonable dates, but Colonel Guetta did not speak at the time.

Colonel Wagy justified the implementation of the coup against power by saying, "We decided to assume our responsibilities before the people and before history."

"Our country is plunging day by day into chaos and instability because of the men who are responsible for its fate," Waghi added.

The spokesman for the military called on civil society and the political forces in the country to "create the best conditions for a civil political transition that leads to credible general elections." The putschists announced the closure of borders and the imposition of a curfew, and reassured the international community about their lack of greed to seize power.

A call to citizens
The coup makers yesterday arrested the country's president, Prime Minister Bobo Sisi, and senior government officials. A few hours later, President Keita announced in a brief speech broadcast on state television this morning his resignation from the presidency of the country and dissolving Parliament.

The military spokesman, Colonel Wagi, called on Malians to freely conduct their business, and urged government employees to return to work from tomorrow, Thursday.

Waghi did not elaborate on the fate of President Keita or Prime Minister Sisi, who are still being held in the Katy camp from which the coup was launched.

Reuters reported that the leaders of the coup will meet this evening with Mahmoud Deko, a Salafi cleric who inflamed the protesters' enthusiasm during the anti-President Keita demonstrations in recent weeks, which have attracted tens of thousands of people.

Deco, a powerful political figure in Mali, considered his support decisive in Keita's victory in the 2013 presidential election, before Deco turned into an opponent of the president.

Reuters reported that the coup leaders denied reports of casualties yesterday as a result of the unrest that followed the announcement of the coup. However, Amnesty International said that it had documented the killing of 4 million and wounding 15 others in shooting.

International positions
Immediately after the announcement of the coup, the African Union and the countries of the world were quick to condemn it, and demand a return to the constitutional situation and the immediate release of the country's leaders, and the condemnation of the military’s seizure of power evolved into decisions. The African Peace and Security Council decided to immediately suspend Mali's participation in all AU activities until Restore normal constitutional order in the country, according to a statement issued by the council.

In its statement, the Council stressed the urgent need for a speedy solution to the crisis "on the basis of respect for the constitutional order and reflects the aspirations of the people of Mali within the framework of the African Union charters."

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) - which has been making mediation efforts to resolve the crisis in Mali since last June - condemned yesterday evening the coup, suspended the country’s membership in the organization, and closed the borders of the group’s member states with Mali.

Algeria strongly rejects the military coup in the state of Mali and demands respect for the constitution # Mali pic.twitter.com/1LfgCRzkB2

- AHMED HAFSI - Hafsi Ahmed (@ hafsi_ahmed1) August 19, 2020

In the same context, the UN Security Council today, after an emergency session on the Mali crisis, called on the leaders of the coup to immediately release all officials, return to their barracks without delay, restore the rule of law and return to the constitutional path.

Stefan Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that the last thing Mali needs is more instability, adding that the UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the rebellion in the capital, Maco, and called for a speedy return to constitutional order.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned what he called the rebellion that took place in Mali, and said in a tweet to him on Twitter that the United States stands with its allies, including the Economic Community of West African States, in rejecting these actions.

In turn, France called for the immediate release of the detained Malian president and members of the government, and the restoration of civilian power without delay, and French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris and the European Union stand by the ECOWAS group to find a solution to the financial crisis.

A French military source told Reuters that the French army had offered President Macron several options regarding dealing with developments in Mali.

Background of events It
is noteworthy that Mali has witnessed successive waves of demonstrations led by the "5 June" opposition movement and a number of independents since the announcement of the results of the legislative elections that were held last March, in which President Keita's party won and rejected by the opposition.

Keita's opponents express their dissatisfaction with the positions of his regime on many issues, foremost of which are the deterioration of the security situation, the inability of his government to stop violence in the country, in addition to the economic collapse, failure of state services, and widespread corruption.

Since last June, tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Macau, demanding Keita to resign, over what they say are his failures to address the deteriorating security situation and corruption.