United Nations Security Council at UN world headquarters in  New York City, NY

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED  NATIONS   –  NEW  YORK –  The UN Security Council met behind closed doors on Wednesday to discuss the derailing of Mali’s transitional government following the apparent forced departure of both the President and Prime Minister on Tuesday, by the leader of last August’s military coup. 

UN Security Council strongly condemned the arrest of President & Prime Minister of Mali, calling for the safe, immediate & unconditional release of all the officials detained.

The United Nations, EU, U.S. and the African Union have strongly denounced the “kidnapping” of Mali’s civilian leadership. Military officers detained the west African nation’s president and prime minister on Monday, plunging the country back into chaos.  They accused the Mali military of attempting a second coup as President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane head an interim government installed after a putsch in August.  News of their arrest on Monday was met with concern by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who said his Special Representative in the region was working closely with the regional economic community ECOWAS, the African Union and others, which are supporting the transition. The crisis occurs as Mali has been attempting to implement a political transition following the August 2020 coup d’état. Monday’s  coup was preceded by ten days during which the transitional government was reshuffled.  Transitional vice-president Colonel Assimi Goïta, a leader of the August 2020 coup, announced on Tuesday that he had taken power. In a statement read on national television, Goïta maintained that he had not been consulted in the government reshuffle and blamed N’Daw and Ouane for nationwide strikes and protests. 

The Security Council emergency meeting began at 3pm New York time, and was requested by France, Niger, Tunisia, Kenya and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA) demands an immediate release of President Bah Ndaw and PM Ouane.

« Cette action inconsidérée est lourde de conséquences pour le Mali et la région dans son ensemble »@UN_MINUSMA https://t.co/jsGuVW7lqK

— ONU Info (@ONUinfo) May 26, 2021