Malian army officer, Colonel Assimi Goita, announced himself on Wednesday as the coup leader, who overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Goita was one of the five military servicemen, who delivered a speech on national television on Wednesday morning to shed light on the military rebels’ program.
Colonel Assimi Goita addresses the press, from the Malian Ministry of Defense in Bamako, Mali, August 19, 2020Malik Konate, AFP
He served in the special ops unit of the Malian armed forces.
“Let me introduce myself, I am Colonel Assimi Goita, Chairman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People," he said after meeting top civil servants.
The Malian military had on Tuesday ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta from power and announced plans to set up a transitional government for new elections.
Keita resigned from office and dissolved parliament hours after he was arrested by mutineering soldiers.
The ousted President said he resigned to avoid bloodshed, announcing the dissolution of the government and the National Assembly.
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Malian army officer, Colonel Assimi Goita, announced himself on Wednesday as the coup leader, who overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Goita was one of the five military servicemen, who delivered a speech on national television on Wednesday morning to shed light on the military rebels’ program.
Colonel Assimi Goita addresses the press, from the Malian Ministry of Defense in Bamako, Mali, August 19, 2020Malik Konate, AFP
He served in the special ops unit of the Malian armed forces.
“Let me introduce myself, I am Colonel Assimi Goita, Chairman of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People," he said after meeting top civil servants.
The Malian military had on Tuesday ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta from power and announced plans to set up a transitional government for new elections.
Keita resigned from office and dissolved parliament hours after he was arrested by mutineering soldiers.
The ousted President said he resigned to avoid bloodshed, announcing the dissolution of the government and the National Assembly.
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Staff and medical workers at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital have been engulfed in fear as hospital management began COVID-19 tests without proper and adequate facility in place.
In less than three weeks the hospital began test sampling, over 24 staff have been infected with the virus and one death recorded.
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One of the staff has also infected his wife and two children with the virus.
A staff of the hospital, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said the hospital ignored various warning to put in place adequate protection and disinfection equipment before commencing the testing of sample.
The staff said, “We told them that it is highly infectious but they insisted that they will go ahead with the sample testing.
“Everybody was exposed to the sample. A letter was written to the management complaining of the health risk but they ignored the letters and warning.
“We told them to set-up an insolated laboratory to be running the test sample just as it was done during the outbreak of Ebola but they also ignored the advice.
“As at today, 24 staff is positive to COVID-19 while some other people are expecting their result, which there is a high possibility that it will come back positive because many of us were exposed to the virus.”
It was gathered that the staff asked the hospital to provide personal protective equipment but they said the hospital did not have money.
“When a letter was written asking the hospital to provide protective gear as it is being used in standard COVID-19 test centre, the management of the hospital said the hospital does not have money to buy protective equipment and staff should continue working as they do,” another staff said.
One of the infected staff, who also spoke with SaharaReporters, said the hospital was putting the lives of people at risk due to its decision not to provide them with protective equipment.
He said, “I heard my test result from a third party, my colleague who called me and informed that I am positive.
“The hospital then asked us to go home for self-isolation.
“The decision of the hospital has cost a life already and it is putting the lives of many others at risk.
“We interact with each other at the hospital and there is a high possibility that about 40 per cent of the staff will test positive to the virus.”
Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Peter Adefuye, said the staff can test positive to the virus because it was in the community stage.
He, however, ended the call when asked if the hospital had protective measure in place for staff exposed to the samples during testing.
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Staff and medical workers at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital have been engulfed in fear as hospital management began COVID-19 tests without proper and adequate facility in place.
In less than three weeks the hospital began test sampling, over 24 staff have been infected with the virus and one death recorded.
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One of the staff has also infected his wife and two children with the virus.
A staff of the hospital, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said the hospital ignored various warning to put in place adequate protection and disinfection equipment before commencing the testing of sample.
The staff said, “We told them that it is highly infectious but they insisted that they will go ahead with the sample testing.
“Everybody was exposed to the sample. A letter was written to the management complaining of the health risk but they ignored the letters and warning.
“We told them to set-up an insolated laboratory to be running the test sample just as it was done during the outbreak of Ebola but they also ignored the advice.
“As at today, 24 staff is positive to COVID-19 while some other people are expecting their result, which there is a high possibility that it will come back positive because many of us were exposed to the virus.”
It was gathered that the staff asked the hospital to provide personal protective equipment but they said the hospital did not have money.
“When a letter was written asking the hospital to provide protective gear as it is being used in standard COVID-19 test centre, the management of the hospital said the hospital does not have money to buy protective equipment and staff should continue working as they do,” another staff said.
One of the infected staff, who also spoke with SaharaReporters, said the hospital was putting the lives of people at risk due to its decision not to provide them with protective equipment.
He said, “I heard my test result from a third party, my colleague who called me and informed that I am positive.
“The hospital then asked us to go home for self-isolation.
“The decision of the hospital has cost a life already and it is putting the lives of many others at risk.
“We interact with each other at the hospital and there is a high possibility that about 40 per cent of the staff will test positive to the virus.”
Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Peter Adefuye, said the staff can test positive to the virus because it was in the community stage.
He, however, ended the call when asked if the hospital had protective measure in place for staff exposed to the samples during testing.
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The United Nations Security Council has issued a stern directive to the Malian military to immediately return to the barracks.
The warning came on Wednesday as mutineering soldiers took over the government in Mali as the President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, and Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse, were arrested by the soldiers.
The President was subsequently forced to resign.
The 15-member council was briefed after soldiers ousted Mali's President in a coup.
A resistance group, M5, also insisted that the constitutional court must be dissolved, while the President must resign before peace can return to the country.
The crisis had erupted after the court nullified results of 31 parliamentary seats in the country’s polls, awarding victory to some other contenders, which the resistance group said was at the instigation of Keita.
On July 10, riots led to the killing of some protesters by security agents.
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The United Nations Security Council has issued a stern directive to the Malian military to immediately return to the barracks.
The warning came on Wednesday as mutineering soldiers took over the government in Mali as the President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, and Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse, were arrested by the soldiers.
The President was subsequently forced to resign.
The 15-member council was briefed after soldiers ousted Mali's President in a coup.
A resistance group, M5, also insisted that the constitutional court must be dissolved, while the President must resign before peace can return to the country.
The crisis had erupted after the court nullified results of 31 parliamentary seats in the country’s polls, awarding victory to some other contenders, which the resistance group said was at the instigation of Keita.
On July 10, riots led to the killing of some protesters by security agents.
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Barely 24 hours after seven persons were badly injured in an attack at the secretariat of the Social Democratic Party in Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State, at least three persons have also been attacked by armed thugs.
The fresh attack happened on Wednesday evening as thugs suspected to be working for the All Progressives Congress moved on the streets with matchetes and axes and brutalised anyone seen.
The attack comes barely three days to the local council election in all 18 local government areas of the state.
A source told SaharaRepoters that the thugs were moving from house to house to attack perceived political enemies.
He said, "The thugs have started again, they are moving from one location to another to attack us. They have attacked three other persons.
"This time around, it is not even a case of an attack on SDP members or candidate for the election but it is an attack on those they feel could give them problems on the election day.
"I learnt they have a list of names of those to be attacked with them and now they are moving from one house to another to carry out the mission."
It was learnt that military personnel have been drafted to Idanre to restore order.
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Four prominent human rights groups have urged the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to commit to freedom of expression and assembly and end the arrests of citizens for expressing their opinions.
They asked the government to immediately release those being detained solely for exercising their right to free speech and amend any laws not in line with Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
The human rights groups made this known in a joint statement signed by Fatou Jagne Senhore, Regional Director of ARTICLE 19 West Africa, Chido Onumah, Coordinator of African Centre for Media & Information Literacy, Okechukwu Nwaguma, Executive Director of RULAAC and Olanrewaju Suraju, Chairman of HEDA Resource Center.
#RevolutionNow Protest
The statement reads, “Protest is a right. The Nigerian constitution clearly recognises the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Nigerian security forces cannot simply arrest anyone who expresses an opinion critical of the government. Yet, in the past week, we have witnessed mass arrests of protesters.
“On 5 August, dozens of people were arrested in Abuja, Lagos, Abeokuta, Kano, Calabar and Osogbo during the #RevolutionNow protests calling for good governance. The police used teargas to disperse the largely peaceful protests. Most people were released the following day, without charge. Despite their release, the Nigerian authorities did not shed light on the excessive use of force against the protesters and the allegations of degrading treatments to which some demonstrators were allegedly subjected.
“In addition, an activist named Usman Zush remained in detention about 7 days without being judged. The police were accusing him of impersonation alleging that he was found with two ID cards. But a local lawyer who was closer to the case told anonymously to A19 that Usman was solely arrested in connexion with the RevolutionNow protest and impersonation was to cover up. Three days later, on 8 August, protesters were arrested in southern Kaduna State during protests against the increased insecurity in the state.
“Repression of protests and Impunity should stop. The perpetrators of the alleged inhuman violations should be identified and punished. It’s the responsibility of the Nigerian Government to investigate and enforce justice.
The groups also condemned the recent arrests and judicial decisions for blasphemy in Northern part of Nigeria.
“On August 10, 2020, the singer Sharif was sentenced to death for blasphemy by a Sharia Court in Kano State. He was accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad in a song he distributed through WhatsApp in March 2020.
“In another case, on 28 April, the President of the Nigerian Humanist Association was arrested in Kaduna for insulting the Prophet Muhammad on his Facebook page a day earlier. He is reportedly yet to be charged and detained incommunicado in Kano State. He may risk a death sentence like Sharif.
“It is shocking that posting a song on WhatsApp is punished with death, even if it is considered insulting. Nigerian authorities should protect opinions online and offline in consonance with its international human rights obligations. Death sentence cannot be accomplished without violating the right to life guaranteed to all Nigerians. It should have never been decided. Death penalty must be abolished unconditionally.
“We urge the Nigerian authorities to release all people who are currently detained across the country solely for expressing their opinions. In addition, Nigeria should ensure its laws enable a climate of free speech."
Ahead of Saturday's local government election in Ondo State, the police said it would deploy no fewer than 5,000 police officers to monitor and ensure security for the exercise.
The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, who made the disclosure on Wednesday in Akure, said police would ensure adequate security of lives and properties during the poll.
Bolaji revealed that the officers would be supported by the other security agencies including officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and men of the Department of State Services.
He warned against violence before, during, and after the polls, calling on all political stakeholders in the state to follow the rules in Saturday's election.
The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission had earlier announced that no fewer than seven political parties would be participating in the exercise.
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The Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada, has shut down activities indefinitely.
The high commission in a statement posted on its website said it was suspending consular activities indefinitely until further notice due to lack of passport booklets and unruly behaviour of applicants.
It said it had devised a system in which citizens with emergency cases were attended to strictly by appointment that allowed a limited number of people into the chancery at a time in compliance with the laid-down rules of physical distancing.
But it said some citizens chose to abuse the system by showing up without appointment.
“On a number of occasions, people seeking passport renewal came to the chancery without an appointment and acted in the a most unruly manner, disturbing the peace and acting in an abusive manner, banging windows,” it said.
It further stated that things got worse on August 14, when a group of applicants caused mayhem at the embassy, refusing people entrance and holding a staff member hostage for several minutes.
“Matters came to a head on Friday August 14, when a group showed up at the high commission and refused to allow the embassy staff members to attend to those who had appointments. They insisted that we had to attend to everybody who showed up.
“They went as far as holding a female staff member who went to address them hostage for over 20 minutes and subjected them to physical abuse,” the statement reads.
While acknowledging that the closure of the airspace was limiting its ability to bring much-needed passport booklets into the country and is an area it will work on, the Nigerian High Commission disclosed that it was considering ways to make our premises more secure and less susceptible to unruly behaviour and violent mob action.
“Nigerians whose work or study permits have expired since March 2020, and who do not have a valid passport, have a grace period that lasts until December 31.
“By this time, we expect to have resolved some of the challenging issues that COVID-19 has created,” the statement added.
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Mamman Daura, a nephew and close confidant of President Muhammadu Buhari, has been flown to the United Kingdom for urgent medical treatment over an undisclosed ailment, SaharaReporters has reliably gathered.
Daura, 79, was said to have been flown in a private jet to the UK on Wednesday (today) after exhibiting respiratory difficulties with symptoms similar to Coronavirus since last Friday.
Mamman Daura
The former journalist, who is an integral member of the 'Cabal', a group of influential individuals around President Buhari, who help him make key decisions, is said to have had a history of renal crisis and had regularly visited the West for medical attention.
Recall that earlier this month, Daura came under widespread criticisms after he said that zoning of the Presidency in Nigeria should be jettisoned for competence.
Speaking with the BBC Hausa, he said the zoning formula had failed Nigeria and should be abandoned.
In April, another 'Cabal' member and late Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, died from Coronavirus complications.
A key member of the Buhari's administration, his demise sent panic across Nigeria's seat of power, forcing drastic safety measures to be adopted to protect the President, who has himself battled an undisclosed ailment and had visited UK several times in recent years for medical attention.
Open Bar Initiative has queried the inclusion of Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, as one of the key speakers in the Nigeria Bar Association Annual General Conference coming up later this month.
NBA had in May stated it will hold the conference slated for August virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speakers at the event include the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo; Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike; Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila; Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Tanko Mohammed.
Other key speakers include former President, Olusegun Obasanjo; former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami; President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Brian Speers, and Director of Training at the Judicial Institute for Africa; Hon Dame Linda, Dobbs.
Reacting to the inclusion of Governor el-Rufai’s name on the list of speakers, Open Bar Initiative in a letter titled ‘Request to Withdraw the Offer of Platform at the 2020 Annual General Conference of the NBA to Mallam Nasir el-Rufai’, and addressed to the Chairman, Technical Committee on Conference Planning, NBA, Prof Koyinsola Ajayi, listed 13 allegations against the governor and his son, Bello, who is a special adviser to Kaduna Central lawmaker, Senator Uba Sani.
The group recalled that el-Rufai had during the run-up to the 2019 general elections threatened that any foreigner, who interfered in the election, would leave Nigeria in “body bags”.
“As you may know, at the end of June 2020, Civic Media Lab, which monitors mortality in Nigeria’s many security crises, declared Kaduna State, which is governed by Mallam el-Rufai as the most dangerous state in Nigeria. As recorded by the organisation, Kaduna’s record of 493 persons killed between January and June is higher than the reported deaths in the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorized territories of Borno; 290, Adamawa; 37 and Yobe; 5. As at today, Southern Kaduna is the most active site of massacres and mass atrocities in Nigeria.
“A major focus of the intolerance of Mallam el-Rufai has been lawyers and the legal profession. In 2016, when he was visited by the then President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Barrister A.B Mahmoud, SAN, Governor el-Rufai threatened to abduct Kaduna lawyer, Ms. Gloria Ballason, because she had criticized him in a news article, a perfectly lawful act of exercising constitutionally protected speech. Ms. Ballason sued to protect her rights and in May 2017 secured a judgment of the High Court of Kaduna State, which found that the governor had indeed violated her rights. The high court awarded also damages against the governor. He refused to pay up. Instead, he instigated another round of violations of the rights of Ms Ballason to practice her vocation as a lawyer. The high court specifically found that they had violated the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers
“On the eve of the presidential elections in February 2019, Mallam el-Rufai took to the television to announce that 66 Fulanis had be massacred in an Adara settlement in Kajuru Local Government Area in Southern Kaduna. The police as well as the National Emergency Management Agency denied that any such incident happened. When Dr Chidi Odinkalu, one of our leading members and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, challenged Mallam el-Rufai to provide proof of his claims, the governor sought to procure his abduction with an order in a case that did not have a suit number,” part of the letter reads.
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Tope Akinyode, National President of Revolutionary Lawyers' Forum, has vowed to challenge the continued detention of Mubarak Bala, President of Humanist Association of Nigeria.
SaharaReporters had in April reported how Mubarak was arrested at his home in Kaduna State.
Mubarak, who has not been heard from since his arrest, is accused of posting comments that were critical of Islam and Prophet Muhammad on Facebook.
Mubarak Bala
According to Akinyode, blasphemy laws have no place in Nigeria's constitutional democracy.
He described the continued detention of the humanist without any access to his lawyer and family and without being charged to court as ‘very preposterous and undemocratic’.
He said, “Since his arrest in April, nobody knows Mr Bala's whereabouts as he's being held in communicado by state forces. The Nigeria Police purportedly acted on a petition against Bala by some lawyers who alleged blasphemy. Blasphemy laws have no place in Nigeria's constitutional democracy. They derogate from citizens' fundamental human right to freedom of religion guaranteed by Section 38 of Nigeria's constitution.
“Furthermore, by virtue of Section 39 of the constitution, nobody's fundamental human right to freedom of expression can be curtailed on religious grounds. The continuous detention of Mr Bala without any access to his lawyer and family and without being charged to court is very preposterous and undemocratic. Mr Bala is not a Muslim and cannot therefore be subjected to the Sharia court by any stretch of the imagination.
“Mr Bala's wife, Mrs Amina Mubarak, has requested me to take up the case. She's very keen on speaking with her husband and introducing his new born baby who was six weeks old at the time of Mr Bala's arrest to him.
"Accordingly, we shall immediately proceed to court and sue the Nigeria Police Force and every other necessary party aiding the continuous and unjust incarceration of Mr Bala.”
The United Kingdom Charity Commission appointed an interim manager for the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International since August 2019.
The UK charity regulator appointed an interim manager for the church following a 2018 inquiry which raised concerns over mismanagement of funds.
The inquiry was launched after MFM with an average income of £4m annually repeatedly failed to file financial information on time.
Pastor Daniel Olukoya, General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM).
The commission also found two alleged incidents of fraud by former employees involving significant sums, both of which were not reported until a number of years after the frauds were discovered.
It then suspended the church Board of Trustees led by Dr Daniel Olukoya and appointed Adam Stephens of Smith & Williamson as Interim Manager.
Other trustees suspended include Florence Sankey O.A, Oluwafemi Emmanuel Oladipo, Bamidele Omotayo, Kehinde Williams, and Enock Sunday Olaniyan.
The commission however, didn’t state which of them engaged in fraud but it stated that the lead trustee had an issue without expressly mentioning Olukoya.
When contacted, one Stephanie at the Charity Commission press unit told SaharaReporters that she can’t disclose if the church had been returned to its original trustees until further checks were made.
SaharaReporters had in 2018 reported that a pastor and former members of the church alleged that Dr Olukoya and MFM had willfully and intentionally evaded United States Customs Service duties and had evaded tax payments to the government.
The pastor of a Maryland branch in the US averred in court filings that MFM and its General Overseer, Olukoya, engaged in "fraudulent activities" in the United States of America, claiming that MFM International was in the practice of knowingly and deliberately making false claims to evade U.S. Customs duties and taxes on books exported from Nigeria to America.
The nature of the activities stems from the fact that Olukoya shipped prayer books (specifically, “70 Days Prayer & Fasting” and “Pray Your Way Into...” to various U.S-based MFM branches with a cover letter categorising the books as “donations” to be distributed to local parishioners.
However, once delivered to the United States, instructions were then emailed to U.S. pastors by MFM International and or MFM USA instructing them of the price they must charge parishioners in selling these books.
The pastors were then instructed to remit the earnings of their sales to MFM International.
Angered by the report, Olukoya filed three libel suits against the Publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, in Nigeria and another one before the District Court of Maryland, United States.
He said he was constrained to take legal action against Sowore, SaharaReporters Media Group Incorporated, and the Incorporated Trustees of Sahara Media Foundation for their alleged failure to desist from publishing false and malicious articles against him and his church.
While all the cases in Nigeria have been dismissed, that of the US is still ongoing.
Some Nigerian pastors recently questioned the rationale behind the inclusion of religious centres and charity organisations into the Company and Allied Matters Acts signed by President Muhammadu Buhari into law on August 7, 2020.
Several of the pastors have been hit by Charity Commission sanctions over the years in the UK for fraudulent activities.
Under the new law, religious bodies and charity organisations will be strictly regulated by the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission and a supervising minister.
CAMA provides that the commission may by order suspend the trustees of an association or a religious body and appoint an interim manager or managers to coordinate its affairs where it reasonably believes that there had been any misconduct or mismanagement, or where the affairs of the association are being run fraudulently or where it is necessary or desirable for the purpose of public interest.
Angry youth suspected to be students on Wednesday staged a protest at the Oyo State Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, the state capital, over the escape of a serial killer, Sunday Shodipe, from custody.
It was gathered that the protesters questioned the state's Commissioner of Police, Joe Nwachuku Enwonwu, who was on the ground to receive them on the reasons for the escape of the suspect.
The protest turned violent as the youth clashed with some police officers at the entrance of the facility and hurled stones and other objects at the formation.
Police Public Relations Officer, Olugbenga Fadeyi, also confirmed the incident that some students came there to protest.
He said the situation had been put under control and normalcy had returned to the state.
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Ebenezer Ogunmefun, a 57-year-old prophet, has been arraigned in a Chief Magistrate Court in Ogun State for sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl.
The prophet had claimed that the girl was possessed by evil spirit and needs cleansing when he abused her, according to the prosecuting counsel.
He was arraigned on a single count charge of sexual abuse but pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution counsel, Inspector Moshood Hammed, told the court that the defendant committed the offence at No 1, Prof Ajibo Toluca Pioneer Street in Olomore area of Abeokuta, the state capital.
The prosecution claimed that after sexually abusing her, the defendant asked her not to inform anybody, asking her to use the Bible to swear.
Magistrate Solomon Banwo admitted the defendant to bail in the sum N750, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Banwo ordered that one of the sureties must be the defendant’s wife and the other must be a community leader.
The case was adjourned until September 2, 2020, for hearing, NAN reports.
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The Economic Community of West African States has sanctioned Mali after the takeover of the country by the military, directing the military of member countries to be on standby.
The military arrested the country’s leader, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, and Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse, forcing him to resign after months of protest by the people over poor governance.
The ECOWAS Commission said following the takeover of power by the military putschists, Mali will remain suspended from ECOWAS until the reinstatement of constitutional order.
It also demanded immediate implementation of sanctions against the military, partners and collaborators.
“ECOWAS requeststhe immediate activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force.
“Demands the immediate implementation of sanctions against all putschists and their partners and collaborators;
“Decides to dispatch a high-level delegation to ensure immediate return to constitutional order.
“Suspends Mali from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies with immediate effect, as per the Additional Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and this, until effective reinstatement of the constitutional order;
“Decides to close all land and air borders, as well as to stop all economical, trade and financial flows and transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Mali, and encourages all partners to do the same.”
