The AFP, quoting a
military source, reports that an explosive device detonated when a vehicle
conveying some of the military junta reached Koro, a borderline town with
Burkina Faso, killing four soldiers and leaving one seriously injured.
The development
comes a day after the military junta freed two government officials arrested
during Tuesday coup.
The junta, who
earlier rejected foreign interference, on Thursday gave the human rights team
of the United Nations mission in Mali access to Mr Keita who is being detained
alongside 17 other political leaders.
They have promised
to oversee elections for a transitional government in due time.
Mali’s crisis
PREMIUM TIMES had
reported how Mali has been mired in a months-long political stalemate after the
opposition rejected results of local elections held earlier this year. They
called for Mr Keita’s resignation for perceived government corruption and
incompetence in countering terrorism in the country.
Tensions escalated
in July when at least 11 people were killed during three days of unrest
following a protest.
The opposition group
rejected attempts at mediation with the president, and vowed to continue
staging rallies against him.
In July, Nigeria’s former
president, Goodluck Jonathan led a delegation of the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) leaders to broker peace in the country where a unity
government was recommended.
But the crisis
persisted until it resulted in a military takeover on Tuesday.
In response to the
coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Mali’s
membership, shut off borders and halted financial flows to the country.
Now, as the
15-nation ECOWAS aims to reverse the regime change by force in Mali after
demanding that Mr Keita be returned as the president, military junta and
Malians have rejected the bloc’s demands.
Ahead of the arrival
of a delegation of ECOWAS in Mali’s capital, Bamako, a mass demonstration is
planned by an opposition coalition that led protests against Mr Keita, AFP
reports.
Malians celebrate
Meanwhile, as the
international community condemned the military takeover, Malians on Friday
flooded the streets of Bamako, Mali’s capital to celebrate the coup which was
described as a “a victory of the Malians people.”
According to
Reuters, thousands gathered at International square in Bamako, the birthplace
of months-long mass demonstrations against Mr Keita.
The crowd was joined by the military leaders who sang, danced and waved
Mali’s flag in jubilation.
“We have come here to thank you, to thank the Malian public for its
support. We merely completed the work that you began and we recognise ourselves
in your fight,” the military junta’s spokesman, Ismael Wague, reportedly said.
US ends military cooperation
The United States, like other International partners who have condemned
the coup for fear that it could further destabilise Mali and West Africa’s
entire Sahel region, said it had suspended its military cooperation with the
country.
The US Sahel envoy, Peter Phame at a press conference on Friday,
justified the move as a response to what he referred to an “act of mutiny.”
“Let me say categorically there is no further training or support of
Malian armed forces full-stop. We have halted everything until such time as we
can clarify the situation,” Mr Pham reportedly told Al Jazeera.
According to Al Jazeera, the U.S. regularly provides training to Malian
soldiers.
It also offers intelligence to France’s Barkhane forces, who are there
to fight affiliates of al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS).
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