MALIAN PDT IBRAHIM KEITA RESIGNS AFTER THE MILITARY COUP OCCURED ON AUG 18

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Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta himself announced his resignation after the military coup d´Etat which took place in Mali on August 18, following several months of demonstrations and military overthrow. The soldiers said they wanted to put in place a "civil political transition" leading to general elections within a "reasonable time". Mutineering soldiers in on Tuesday detained President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, one of their leaders said.

The coup was formalized on August 18 and resulted in the resignation of the current president, who was sequestrated as well as his Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse.Indeed, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, President of Mali since 2013, former Prime Minister, elected twice, was arrested by soldiers in the afternoon, and taken, by force, to the Kati camp, north of the capital, where a mutiny had started that very morning. Mutineering soldiers in Mali on Tuesday detained President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, one of their leaders said. "We can tell you that the president and the prime minister are under our control," the leader, who requested anonymity, told AFP.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta himself announced his resignation after the military coup d´Etat which took place in Mali on August 18, following several months of demonstrations and military overthrow. The soldiers said they wanted to put in place a "civil political transition" leading to general elections within a "reasonable time". Mutineering soldiers in on Tuesday detained President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, one of their leaders said. The coup was formalized on August 18 and resulted in the resignation of the current president, who was sequestrated as well as his Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse. Indeed, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, President of Mali since 2013, former Prime Minister, elected twice, was arrested by soldiers in the afternoon, and taken, by force, to the Kati camp, north of the capital, where a mutiny had started that very morning.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mutineering soldiers in Mali on Tuesday detained President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, one of their leaders said. "We can tell you that the president and the prime minister are under our control," the leader, who requested anonymity, told AFP. Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, overthrown by a putsch, announced his resignation himself. The soldiers said they wanted to put in place a "civil political transition" leading to general elections within a "reasonable time".During the night, on the airwaves of ORTM, the national radio-television, the Head of State thanked, therefore, "the Malian people for their support throughout these long years" before announcing that he resigned from all his functions and to declare the dissolution of the National Assembly and that of his government, led by a prime minister, Boubou Cissé, arrested at the same time as him.

ACCORDING TO PROF MOHAMED AMARA THE MILITARY PUTSCH OF AUGUST 18 IS A STEP BACKWARD THAT RISKS TO DESTABILIZE MALI For Professor Mohamed Amara, the military putsch of August 18 is a step backwards that risks destabilizing the country. Mali has been in uncertainty since Tuesday, August 18. The military overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (IBK), forced to resign. A putsch condemned by the international community. It intervenes in a context of social and political crisis, after a series of demonstrations by the M5, the protest movement which has demanded since June 5 the departure of President IBK and his regime. How to interpret this coup? What way out of the crisis? Interview with Mohamed Amara, professor at the University of Letters and Human Sciences of Bamako, author of "Marchands d'angoisse, Mali as it is, as it could be" (Editions Grandvaux, 2019). FRANCE TAKES NOTE OF PDT KEITA'S RESIGNATION AND CALLS FOR HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE---------------- Le Miniister des Affares Etrangeres said in an official statement: “France has taken note of the announcement of the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. She calls for his immediate release as well as members of the government currently detained.France stands, as it always has, alongside the Malian people. It is committed, at the request of this country, by pursuing two priorities: the interests of the Malian people and the fight against terrorism. It reaffirms its attachment to sovereignty, respect for institutions, democratic life and stability in Mali. It encourages all political and social forces to engage in dialogue to find a solution to the deep crisis the country is going through and calls for the immediate reestablishment of civil power. The French authorities are in contact with the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the G5 Sahel to support their efforts. »(Source: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs). During an emergency closed-door meeting, member countries also "stressed the urgent need to restore the rule of law and move towards a return to constitutional order". French President Emmanuel Macron also reacted in the evening, saying that "the fight against terrorist groups and the defense of democracy and the rule of law are inseparable".

THE AFRICAN UNION SUSPEND MALI FROM THE AU SINCE THE PUTSCH---------------------------------------------- The African Union announced, Wednesday, August 19, the suspension of Mali from the organization "until the restoration of constitutional order". The current AU president, the South African Cyril Ramaphosa, has also demanded the "immediate release" of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, still detained the day after his arrest by the army.------------------------------------ The UN Security Council, for its part, called on the mutinous soldiers to "return to their barracks without delay" and to release all the arrested leaders "immediately". Reactions in addition to that of the United States and the European Union earlier in the same day. After an extraordinary EU summit, the 27 called for an "immediate return to the rule of law" in the country. "The stability of the region and of Mali, the fight against terrorism must remain absolute priorities", declared the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, stressing "the extreme concern" of Europeans, as well as Morocco, partner of the Mali, said he was "attached to the stability of this country".