The Federal Government has condemned in strong terms the detention of the duo of interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane of Mali.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwoye, in a statement issued, on Tuesday, said the two key officials in the transitional government of Mali were reportedly taken by Soldiers to the Kati Military Camp near the Capital, Bamako, on Monday 24, May 2021.
“The action is totally unacceptable and might derail the peacebuilding efforts and timetable for the return of democratic governance in Mali.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, therefore, calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained President and Prime Minister.
“The key actors and perpetrators of the condemnable act should be aware of the fact that stakeholders in the region and friends of Mali reject any act of coercion of the detained officials, including forced resignations,†the statement reads.
President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane had been tasked with overseeing an 18-month transition back to civilian rule.
This was cut short as they were both arrested in the country’s interim government, on Monday, had a cabinet reshuffle raising further political uncertainty in the landlocked country whose military, in August, overthrew former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in a coup.
The latest uncertainty in Mali joins the spate of coups that have bugged West African countries like Chad and Niger in recent months.
