Members Removed From Cabinet: Mali's Military Detains President And Prime Minister

Ilustrasi militer Mali. (Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Air Force/Master Sgt. Ken Bergmann)

JAKARTA - Malian military authorities detained the president, prime minister, and defense minister of the interim government on Monday, May 24, local time.

The incident exacerbated political turmoil just months after the military coup, which toppled the previous president according to sources.

President Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, and Defense Minister Souleymane Doucoure were all taken to a military base in Kati outside the capital Bamako, hours after two members of the military lost their positions in a government reshuffle, diplomatic and government sources said.

Their detention follows the overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita by the military last August. Such developments could exacerbate instability in the country located in West Africa, as ruthless groups linked to Al-Qaida and ISIS control large parts of the desert in the north.

Political instability and military infighting have complicated efforts by Western powers and neighboring countries to prop up the impoverished country, contributing to regional insecurity.

The United Nations mission in Mali called for the immediate and unconditional release of the group, saying those in charge of the leader should be held accountable for their actions.

Meanwhile, delegates from regional decision-making body ECOWAS will visit Bamako on Tuesday to help resolve the attempted coup, said ECOWAS, the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, and several European countries said in a joint statement.

"The international community has previously rejected any forced action, including forced resignations," the group said, according to Reuters on Tuesday.

President Ndaw and Prime Minister Ouane were tasked with overseeing the transition of government from military to civilian for 18 months, following the takeover of power by mali's military in August last year.

However, both allegedly took policies contrary to military control over a number of key positions in the government.

"The removal of the pillars of the coup was a huge error of judgment. The action may be aimed at returning them to their jobs," said a former senior Malian government official.

The military's ultimate goal remains unclear. A military official in Kati said this was not an arrest. "What they did was not good," the source said, referring to the cabinet reshuffle. "We told them the decision would be made."

Kati's military base is famous for ending mali's rule. Last August, the military brought President Keita to Kati and forced her to step down. The uprising there helped topple his predecessor Amadou Toumani Toure in 2012.

Mali has been in turmoil ever since. Toure's departure sparked an ethnic Tuareg insurgency to seize two-thirds of the country's north, which was hijacked by Al-Qaeda-linked groups.

French forces hit rebel forces in 2013, but have since regrouped and carried out routine attacks on soldiers and civilians.

For the record, the transitional government last month said it would hold legislative and presidential elections in February 2022 to restore democratic governance.

'It's regrettable, but not surprising, because the arrangements agreed after last year's coup were imperfect. However, it is a compromise agreed upon by all major Malian and international stakeholders," explained J. Peter Pham, a former United States special envoy for the Sahel Region.