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2020 Malian coup d'état

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On 18 August 2020, elements of the Malian Armed Forces began a mutiny,[4][5][6] and subsequently undertook a coup d'état. Soldiers on pick-up trucks stormed the Soundiata military base in the town of Kati, where gunfire was exchanged before weapons were distributed from the armory and senior officers arrested.[7][8] Tanks and armoured vehicles were seen on the town's streets,[9] as well as military trucks heading for the capital, Bamako.[10] The soldiers detained several government officials including President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who resigned and dissolved the government.[11] This was the country's second coup in less than 10 years, following the 2012 coup d'état.[12] On a subregional level, the coup also marked an end to a period of nearly six years, since the 2014 Burkina Faso uprising and the ousting of Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaoré, during which there was not a single undemocratic change of government in West Africa. For this subregion, where many countries have a history of civil war and violent conflict, this was a period of remarkable stability, during which ECOWAS even managed to find a peaceful resolution to the 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis.[13]

2020 Malian coup d'état
Part of the Mali War, the 2020 Malian protests and the Coup Belt

Malian soldiers and cheering crowd in Bamako during the coup
Date18 August 2020 (2020-08-18)
Location
Mali Mali
Result

Coup d'état successful

Belligerents

Mali Government of Mali

Supported by:
France France
China China
African Union African Union

Mali National Committee for the Salvation of the People[1]

Commanders and leaders
Mali Ibrahim Keïta Surrendered
Mali Boubou Cissé Surrendered		 Mali Assimi Goïta[2]
Mali Malick Diaw
Mali Ismaël Wagué[1]
Mali Sadio Camara[3]

Background

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Main article: 2020 Malian protests

Protests in Mali had been ongoing since 5 June, with protesters calling for the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.[14][15] Protesters were displeased with the government's management of the ongoing insurgency, alleged government corruption, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and a floundering economy.[16] Eleven deaths and 124 injuries were reported during the protests.[17]

Coup d'état

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On the morning of 18 August 2020, soldiers began firing bullets into the air at a military base in Kati, a town 15 kilometres (9 miles) from Bamako, the capital of Mali.[5] After moving into the capital, the mutineers arrested Minister of Finance Abdoulaye Daffe, the Chief of Staff of the National Guard Mahamane Touré,[7] and Moussa Timbiné, speaker of the National Assembly.[10] The Prime Minister, Boubou Cissé, appealed for dialogue with the mutineers, acknowledging they held "legitimate frustrations".[18] A mutiny leader later claimed that Keïta and Cissé had been arrested at the former's residence in Bamako;[19][20] African Union Commission chairman Moussa Faki confirmed that Keïta, Cissé, and other officials had been arrested and called for their release.[21] A spokesman for the M5-RFP opposition coalition welcomed their detention, describing it as a "popular insurrection".[18]

The officials were taken to the military camp in Kati where the uprising began.[21] As news of the mutiny spread, hundreds of protesters gathered at Bamako's Independence Monument to demand Keïta's resignation.[22] Protesters also set a building belonging to the Ministry of Justice ablaze.[22]

At the time, it was not clear how many soldiers took part in the coup, who initiated it or who would now take charge.[23]

Aftermath

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Assimi Goïta, surrounded by members of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, 19 August 2020

President Keïta resigned around midnight,[19] while also dissolving the government and parliament. "I want no blood to be spilled to keep me in power," he added.[23] Five colonels appeared in the TV broadcast to the nation, led by Colonel Assimi Goïta. They called themselves the National Committee for the Salvation of the People. The bodies of four people killed by gunfire and about 15 wounded, all likely hit by stray bullets, were brought into one of the city's main hospitals, said Elhadj Djimé Kanté, a spokesman for the hospital union. The coup leaders denied that anyone had been killed, but soldiers were constantly firing in the air, cheered on by crowds of young people.[24][25]

Military leaders had ordered closure of all border crossings and imposed a night-time curfew. "As of today, 19 August 2020, all air and land borders are closed until further notice. A curfew is in place from 21:00 to 05:00 until further notice," Col-Major Ismaël Wagué, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Malian Air Force, said in a televised address. He also invited opposition groups to talks for fresh elections.[23]

Opposition member Mahmoud Dicko announced that he is leaving politics as a result of a meeting between him and some of the soldiers that took part in the mutiny.[26]

Coup leaders promised new elections within a "reasonable timeline," without specifying what that meant.[27][28]

Keïta left the country in September for medical treatment in the United Arab Emirates. Keïta, 75 years old, was originally hospitalised in the capital a few days before leaving.[29]

 
Ismaël Wagué (left) and Malick Diaw, 7 September 2020

Experts chosen by Mali's new military leaders have proposed a two-year interim government led by a president chosen by them, despite calls by Mali's neighbors for elections within a year. They suggest that the soldiers behind the coup nominate the interim president and vice president and propose the interim president choose the prime minister. Under the draft, the president would be from the civil or military sectors. The nominee must be between the ages of 35 and 75 and would not be allowed to run for election at the end of the transition. Right after the coup, military leaders promised to reinstate a civilian government and hold elections within a relatively short timeframe.[30]

On 12 September 2020, the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) agreed to an 18-month political transition to civilian rule.[31]

On 21 September 2020 Bah Ndaw was named interim president by a group of 17 electors, with Goïta being appointed vice president. The government is supposed to preside over an interim period of 18 months.[32] A spokesperson for political-religious leader Mahmoud Dicko praised his nomination as president.[32] Leaders of the M5-RFP, active since the 2020 Malian protests, also signalled support.[33] On 25 September the government was inaugurated.[34]

On 18 January 2021, the transitional government announced that the CNSP had been disbanded. Although the initial agreement in September 2020 had stated that the CNSP junta would be dissolved as soon as the transitional government came to power, this had not yet taken place.[35]

International reaction

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Representatives of several countries[a] condemned the coup, as did representatives of the African Union,[51] European Union,[52] and United Nations.[53] Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, a country which has been involved in fighting an Islamist insurgency in its former colony since 2013, called for power to be returned to civilians and for arrested leaders to be freed.[54] The United States cut off military aid to Mali on 21 August 2020.[55]

The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution condemning the coup and calling on the soldiers to return to their barracks and release all detainees without delay.[56] Amnesty International also called for the release of the detainees.[57] The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on Mali[40] and called on neighbouring states to close their land and air borders.[58]

On 25 August 2020, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie suspended Mali from membership and called for the immediate release of Keïta.[59]

On 7 September 2020 at a summit in Niamey, Niger, regional bloc ECOWAS gave the Malian military rulers a deadline of 15 September to appoint a new civilian President and Prime Minister.[60]

See also

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Explanatory notes

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  1. ^ Including Algeria,[36] Angola,[37] Canada,[38] China,[39] France,[22][40] Germany,[41] Japan,[42] Morocco,[43] Nigeria,[44] Russia,[45] South Africa,[46] Spain,[47] Switzerland,[48] Turkey,[49] the United Kingdom,[50] and the United States.[18]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b "Mali Coup Soldiers Take to Airwaves, Promise Elections". The New York Times. Associated Press. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Mali colonel Assimi Goita declares himself junta leader as opposition pledges support". France 24. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Why Mali's coup is cheered at home but upsets neighbours". BBC News. 21 August 2020. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Does Mali risk another coup?". International Insider. 21 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Gunfire heard at Mali army base, warnings of possible mutiny". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Mali coup: Military promises elections after ousting president". BBC News. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  7. ^ a b Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Possible coup underway in Mali | DW | 18 August 2020". DW.COM. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Mali: Gunfire heard at Kati military camp near Bamako". The Africa Report.com. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Mali soldiers detain senior officers in apparent mutiny". AP NEWS. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  10. ^ a b Tih, Felix (18 August 2020). "Gunshots heard at military camp near Mali capital". Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Mali president resigns after detention by military, deepening crisis". Reuters. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Mali celebrates after president's ouster – but there are few 'good coups'". The Conversation. 28 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Ecowas' dilemma: Balancing principles and pragmatism - The Nordic Africa Institute NAI Policy Note 2024:1". nai.uu.se. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  14. ^ Maclean, Ruth (16 July 2020). "Anger at Mali's President Rises After Security Forces Kill Protesters". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  15. ^ "Mali opposition leaders freed after days of anti-gov't protests". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  16. ^ "Factbox: Why Mali is in turmoil again". Reuters. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  17. ^ "Calls for calm as Mali gov't criticised for response to protests". Al Jazeera English. 13 July 2020. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020. Bloody protests broke out in the capital, Bamako, on Friday and Saturday, with reports saying security forces fired live rounds during clashes with demonstrators, some of whom had occupied state buildings. [...] A senior official at an emergency department of a major hospital in Bamako was quoted by AFP news agency as saying 11 people died and 124 were injured since Friday.
  18. ^ a b c "Mutinying soldiers say they have detained Mali's President Keita, Prime Minister Cisse". France24. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Soldiers take up arms as Mali crisis deepens". Al Jazeera. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  20. ^ Kelly, Jeremy (18 August 2020). "Mali PM and president under arrest, claim army mutineers". The Times. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  21. ^ a b Maclean, Ruth (18 August 2020). "Mali's President and Prime Minister Arrested in Military Coup". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  22. ^ a b c "Mali president 'seized by mutinying soldiers'". BBC News. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  23. ^ a b c "Mali's president resigns and dissolves parliament". BBC News. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  24. ^ Maclean, Ruth; Peltier, Elian (19 August 2020). "Mali Coup Leaders Pledge Democracy After Deposing President". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  25. ^ "Mali Rebels Choose Col. Assimi Goita As Leader - Reports". UrduPoint. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  26. ^ "After meeting Mali mutineers, protest leader Dicko to step back from politics". Reuters. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  27. ^ "Mali Coup Leaders Promise New Election". allAfrica.com. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  28. ^ "Mali: Coup Leaders Promise New Elections As Detained Keita Steps Down". allAfrica.com. Radio France Internationale. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Former Mali President Keita leaves country amid transition talks". Al Jazeera. 6 September 2020.
  30. ^ "Mali experts propose 2-year transition, president picked by army". Al Jazeera. 11 September 2020.
  31. ^ Postmaster (12 September 2020). "Sortie de crise : une transition de 18 mois adoptée par acclamation – MALI CANAL". www.malicanal.com (in French). MaliCanal. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  32. ^ a b "Bah Ndaw named Mali's interim president, colonel named VP". Al Jazeera. 21 September 2020. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020.
  33. ^ Paul Myers (21 September 2020). "Ex-Malian defence minister named interim president, junta leader as deputy". RFI. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020.
  34. ^ Mayeni Jones (25 September 2020). "Mali coup: Bah Ndaw sworn in as civilian leader". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020.
  35. ^ "Mali: President Bah N'Daw decrees the dissolution of the CNSP". The Africa Report.com. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  36. ^ Marouf-Araibi, Yasmine (19 August 2020). "Coup d'Etat au Mali: "L'Algérie rejette tout changement anti-constitutionnel"". INTERLIGNES Algérie (in French). Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  37. ^ João Lourenço [@jlprdeangola] (19 August 2020). "Acompanhamos com atenção os últimos acontecimentos no Mali.
    Independentemente das razões na base das quais o Presidente eleito foi deposto, repudiamos e desencorajamos esta forma de forçar a alternância do poder"     (Tweet) – via Twitter.     "We carefully monitored the latest events in Mali. Regardless of the reasons on which the President-elect was ousted, we repudiate and discourage this way of forcing the alternation of power."
  38. ^ François-Philippe Champagne [@FP_Champagne] (18 August 2020). "Canada is very concerned by the situation in Mali & strongly condemns the mutiny of the Garde nationale units against the government.
    I can also confirm that all @CanEmbMali personnel are safe.
    We will continue to follow the situation closely"     (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  39. ^ Crossly, Gabriel; Blanchard, Ben (19 August 2020). Richardson, Alex (ed.). "China, on Mali president resignation, says opposes regime change by force". Reuters. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  40. ^ a b "Mali President Resigns After Military Mutiny, Dissolves Parliament". allAfrica.com. DW News. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  41. ^ "Mali military coup: How the world reacted". Al Jazeera. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  42. ^ "The Situation in the Republic of Mali (Statement by Press Secretary YOSHIDA Tomoyuki)". Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  43. ^ "Morocco expresses concern following mutiny in Mali | The North Africa Post". northafricapost.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  44. ^ "Nigerian Government Condemns Mali Coup". Channels Television. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  45. ^ "Russia says has information about arrests of Mali's president and PM: RIA". Reuters. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
  46. ^ "South Africa: President Ramaphosa Condemns Developments in Mali". allAfrica.com. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  47. ^ "Official Statement 054 - Attempted coup d'état in Mali". exteriores.gob.es. Spanish Foreign Ministry. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020. The Government of Spain is following with great concern the events that have unfolded today in the cities of Katy and Bamako in Mali.
  48. ^ swissinfo.ch/ac (19 August 2020). "Switzerland offers its peace expertise to Mali after coup". SWI swissinfo.ch. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  49. ^ "Turkey expresses concern over military takeover in Mali". Daily Sabah. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  50. ^ "Mali: UK statement on military coup". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  51. ^ "Mali PM also detained by mutinying soldiers, African Union condemns". Reuters. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  52. ^ "Mali: Déclaration du Haut-Représentant/Vice-President Josep Borrell sur la tentative de coup d'Etat en cours". European Union (in French). 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  53. ^ "UN chief demands 'immediate and unconditional release' of President, cabinet members". UN news. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  54. ^ "African Union suspends Mali's membership as international community condemns coup". France 24. Paris. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  55. ^ "U.S. halts military cooperation in Mali". news.yahoo.com. Reuters. 22 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  56. ^ Nichols, Michelle (19 August 2020). Nomiyama, Chizu (ed.). "U.N. Security Council condemns mutiny in Mali, urges soldiers return to barracks". Reuters. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  57. ^ "Mali: Military authorities must end arbitrary arrests and ensure the investigation of unlawful killing of four people". www.amnesty.org. 19 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  58. ^ Opurum, Kingsley (20 August 2020). "West Africa: Ecowas Suspends Mali, Asks Member States to Close Borders". allAfrica.com. Leadership (Abuja). Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  59. ^ "International Francophone Organisation suspends Mali's membership over coup". France 24. Paris. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  60. ^ "Africa leaders: Mali military gov't must name president by Sep 15". Al Jazeera. 7 September 2020.
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