Malian President, Ibrahim Keita, on Wednesday, said he was resigning to avoid “bloodshed”, hours after his arrest by troops in a sudden coup that followed a months-long political crisis in the fragile West African nation. Neighbouring states, France and the European Union all warned against any unconstitutional transfer of power as the coup played out on Tuesday. French President Emmanuel Macron had also discussed the crisis with his counterparts in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal and expressed his “full support for the ongoing mediation efforts of West African states”. Mali had been in the grip of a deep political impasse since June, and Keita had faced increasingly strident demands for his resignation. ECOWAS last month suggested the formation of a unity government while sticking by Keita, but the compromise was bluntly rejected by the opposition.

Source: Punch August 19, 2020 01:30 UTC