Sohini Chatterjee
The African Union and the United Nations said that Mali’s transitional President and Prime Minister were arrested by mutinous soldiers. This was done hours after the governments re-shuffle which left out these two members of the junta, who had seized power nine months earlier in a coup.
The immediate release of President Bah N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane was ordered by a joint statement of the West African Regional bloc known as the ECOWAS and other members of the international community. These two were taken to the military headquarters at Kati.
The statement said that there was a unanimous rejection of any type of coercion or forced resignations. They continued that the “ill-considered action” that had been taken could very well risk and weaken the international community’s mobilization in Mali’s support.
After the ruling military junta had agreed to hand over the powers to a civilian transitional government, under the growing international pressure, the two- leaders were sworn in last September.
Shots were fired in the air by the mutinous soldiers as they encircled the home of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Consequently, he resigned under coercion, on national television stating that he did not want bloodshed for his term in office.
The soldiers called themselves the National Committee for the Salvation of the People on state television. They also promised a speedy return to civilian rule. But the promise was thrown into question by the recent developments.
An hour after the new Cabinet was announced, the arrest happened. Mounting divisions inside the transitional government came to surface by this move.
The efforts to contain the militants linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State Groups face a severe set back by the ongoing upheavals in Mali for the past few years.
There is an ongoing battle of the forces of France and UN with the extremist rebels who regularly attack cities and roads and are known to operate from the rural areas.