"Mali coup leaders say they’re still in charge" by Adam Nossiter | New york Times, March 25, 2012
DAKAR, Senegal - Residents of Bamako, the capital of Mali, waited in tension and uncertainty Saturday for the outcome of a military coup d’etat that overthrew the country’s elected government earlier this week, ending more than 20 years of democracy in the country.
Related: Mali state TV goes off air
Regional analysts and residents said little appeared to be resolved as junta leaders struggled to maintain control amid increasing international isolation and persistent rumors of an imminent countercoup....
Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo, the coup leader who had received military training in the United States, appeared briefly to assure viewers of his “good health,’’ followed by repeated declarations of support for the junta from young people. A military spokesman, Colonel Idrissa Traore, said Saturday that there was “nothing serious in all that,’’ speaking of the countercoup talk.
ECOWAS, which has condemned the coup, scheduled an emergency meeting of regional leaders for Tuesday in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The whereabouts of Mali’s elected president, Amadou Toumani Touré, remained unknown.
“There is a lot of insecurity,’’ Musah said. “It’s going to be very difficult to see how this junta is going to survive. The country has run out of resources.’’ Mali’s air and land borders have been sealed since late Wednesday; food, fuel, and cash are all running low; banks are closed.
“The junta is made up of very young officers, very inexperienced,’’ Musah said. “ECOWAS wants them to quickly surrender.’’
Opposition politicians in Mali continued to criticize the coup. “With just weeks before an election in which the Malian people were getting ready to freely and democratically decide their future, nobody has the right to substitute themselves by force to popular will,’’ said Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a former prime minister, in a statement.
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"African leaders send ‘strong signal’ to Mali coup" Associated Press, March 28, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali - The heads of state of the countries neighboring Mali said Tuesday that they want to send a “strong signal’’ to the soldiers who seized power last week, overturning over 20 years of democracy in the African nation.
Already, the United States, the European Union, and France have cut off aid.
The countries that control the common currency shared by Mali are all represented in another regional grouping that met Tuesday, the Economic Community for West African States, which could decide to cut off Mali’s supply of cash.
In Abidjan, the capital of neighboring Ivory Coast, the chair of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, called on his peers to send a message to the mutinous soldiers who charged through the capital, looting the presidential palace and sending into hiding the nation’s democratically elected president, Amadou Toumani Toure.
Also see: Mutinous soldiers loot Mali's presidential palace
“Our position should consist of a number of actions that we carry out as quickly as possible. This position should be a strong signal, given from all of Africa and from the entire world,’’ Ouattara said.
That means military action.
Related: World Court Whitewashes Ivory Coast War Crimes
When it happens installing their own man it's okay.
The pending decision by the body comes after France suspended all government cooperation with Mali, except for humanitarian aid.
"West Africa regional bloc seals borders with Mali; Sanctions imposed to pressure junta that seized power" by Laura Burke and Rukmini Callimachi | Associated Press, March 30, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali - West Africa’s regional bloc announced Thursday that it is closing all land borders with Mali and freezing the nation’s bank account in an effort to force from power the mutinous soldiers who seized control in a coup last week.
The financial sanctions are among the harshest imposed in recent years on a nation in West Africa and are likely to strangle impoverished Mali, which imports nearly all of its gasoline from neighboring Ivory Coast.
I'm getting the feeling this wasn't a CIA-sponsored operation.
Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, the president of the commission of the Economic Community of West African States, told reporters in Ivory Coast that the sanctions would go into effect in 72 hours.
Already there have been long lines outside of the main banks in the capital, Bamako, as panicked residents tried to take out their cash.
The military junta ousted the country’s democratically elected leader in a coup last week. Already the United States, France, and the European Union have cut off aid. The financial sanctions are bound to be a severe blow to the junta’s ability to function.
Earlier Thursday, five African presidents seeking to restore Mali’s elected government were forced to make a midair U-turn and head to Ivory Coast to hold their meeting, after demonstrators supporting the military junta took over the tarmac to stop the jets from landing, officials said.
The presidents of Ivory Coast, Benin, Liberia, Niger, and Burkina Faso were due to arrive in Mali on Thursday. The planes carrying the presidents turned around after it became clear that the demonstrators had taken over the tarmac. The visitors landed in Ivory Coast, where they went ahead with their meeting, officials said.
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"Coup leader says elections coming" Associated Press, March 31, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali - The coup leader in Mali responded to the threat of sanctions Friday by saying he plans to hold elections and rapidly return the country to its established order but gave no timetable for immediate action, falling short of demands by West African countries.
On Thursday, neighboring countries gave the captain a 72-hour deadline to return power to civilians or face severe consequences, including the closing of borders to the landlocked nation and freezing of the country’s account at the regional central bank.
If the measures go into effect, they will be among the toughest in West Africa, where coups, or coup attempts, are common.
Must be our guys.
Sanogo took power March 21 after a mutiny was sparked over the ill-treatment of soldiers sent to fight the nascent rebellion in the north.
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"Rebels attack another key city
BAMAKO - Rebels attacked Mali’s strategic northern city of Gao on Saturday, a day after they took the city of Kidal, witnesses and an official said. The move deepens the crisis in the western Africa nation after a coup last month and the insurgency that was began in January (AP)."
"Mali coup leader reinstates constitution, promises election; Tuareg rebels seize Timbuktu, other key cities" by Martin Vogl | Associated Press, April 02, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali - The junior officer who overthrew Mali’s democratically elected leader earlier this month and dissolved the nation’s constitution made a public U-turn on Sunday, declaring amid enormous international pressure that he was reinstating the 1992 constitution and planning to hold elections.
Tuareg rebels took advantage of the chaos surrounding last week’s coup in the faraway capital to take the town of Kidal, located 800 miles from Bamako on Friday. On Saturday they seized the biggest northern city, Gao.
A resident in Timbuktu said that the rebels entered the town after a heavy firefight, and were going house to house asking people to remain calm.
By seizing Timbuktu, the rebels took their fight for a homeland for the nomadic Tuareg people to the last major government holdout in northern Mali. They penetrated its defense by late morning, and by afternoon, residents saw pickup trucks bearing the rebel flag zipping through town.
Residents contacted by telephone said they were cowering inside their homes as blasts from heavy arms and automatic gunfire crackled early Sunday around the renowned Islamic intellectual center.
The Tuaregs descended from the people who created Timbuktu in the 11th century and seized it from invaders in 1434. They have rebelled before, but never have they succeeded in taking Timbuktu or the major northern centers of Kidal and Gao....
Mali, once a model democracy, was plunged into crisis on March 21 when a mutiny erupted at the Kati military camp about 6 miles from the presidential palace.
Sanogo was one of the few officers who did not flee the camp when the rank-and-file soldiers began rioting, and he quickly became their leader as they broke into the camp’s armory, grabbed automatic weapons, and headed for the seat of government....
A senior adviser to the president of neighboring Ivory Coast said that the regional body representing states in West Africa was considering calling off the sanctions for one week. The information was confirmed by a diplomat from Burkina Faso, the country that is taking the lead in mediating the crisis....
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"Sanctions imposed on Mali after coup" Associated Press April 03, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali - Just 12 days after they stormed the presidential palace, the young officers who seized control of Mali in a coup were hit Monday with harsh financial sanctions that could cause the country to run out of gasoline.
The body representing nations in West Africa announced Monday that starting immediately they are closing the land borders with Mali. The landlocked nation of over 15 million imports nearly all its petroleum products from neighboring Ivory Coast, and economists say gas stations could run dry within weeks.
The country’s account at the regional central bank has also been frozen, meaning the junta will struggle to pay the salaries of government employees.
Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo refused to give a timeline on when the elections would be held, however, and dodged questions on whether he would continue to be president during the period leading to the election.
Meanwhile, the government also lost control of the northern half of the nation Monday, as rebel flags were hoisted over the last three major towns still under government control, including Timbuktu.
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"Mali coup leader vows to stay, despite sanctions" by Rukmini Callimachi | Associated Press, April 04, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali - The day after an embargo was placed on Mali, the soldier who led a recent coup said Tuesday that he agrees with restoring constitutional order, but first Mali’s ills need to be addressed by holding a national convention to decide on the best way forward.
With Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo refusing to step down, surrounding nations have imposed severe financial sanctions on Mali, including the closing of the country’s borders and the freezing of its account at the regional central bank.
The embargo went into effect overnight Monday, after Sanogo failed to meet the 72-hour deadline imposed by the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, which had demanded he hand power to civilians immediately.
“Yes to the return to a constitutional order, but with a new Mali. Our Mali is sick in the depths of her being . . . To this effect, we invite the entire political class and all the actors of society to come without exception to the national convention,’’ Sanogo said.
“We dare hope that our fathers at ECOWAS will take note of the decisions and conclusions of this convention, with the end of liberating the country from this impasse.’’
Mali’s neighbors are hoping the embargo will economically suffocate the junta. Until that happens, it is likely to cause great strain to Mali’s population of more than 15 million.
As the borders closed, panicking Malians holding jerrycans lined up outside gas stations. The nation - roughly twice the size of France - imports all of its fuel, which is trucked in from neighboring Ivory Coast and Senegal, both located on Africa’s Atlantic Coast.
The country’s electricity grid is also expected to falter. April is one of the hottest months of the year in Mali, and the hydropower system is unable to carry the load because of low water levels. Fuel is used in the hot months to run diesel generators.
Mali’s president was sent into hiding on March 21 when a group of disgruntled soldiers mutinied at a military base located around 6 miles from the presidential palace and then marched on the seat of government. In a matter of hours, they had succeeded in reversing more than two decades of democracy. Rebels fighting a 3-month-old insurgency took advantage of the power vacuum and have since effectively wrested control of the northern half of the country.
The United States, France, and the European Union immediately cut all but essential humanitarian aid to the country.
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"With control of Mali’s north, rebels declare cease-fire" by Rukmini Callimachi | Associated Press, April 06, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali - The rebel group that recently seized control of Mali’s remote north in a maneuver that effectively partitioned the country in two announced a cease-fire Thursday, saying it had reached its military goal.
Moussa Ag Assarid, a spokesman for the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, said the group was declaring the cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid to resume in the north, where shops were looted.
In Ivory Coast, the military chiefs of the nations bordering Mali met Thursday to hash out their plan for a military intervention. Ivory Coast’s deputy defense minister, Paul Koffi Koffi, said military action is being considered both to reverse the coup that deposed Mali’s president last month, as well as to preserve Mali’s territorial integrity after the rebel advance in the north.
He instructed the army chiefs of the 15 nations in West Africa to draft a detailed plan, including how many troops each intends to send, how quickly they could ready them, and what logistical means they plan to contribute....
He instructed the army chiefs of the 15 nations in West Africa to draft a detailed plan, including how many troops each intends to send, how quickly they could ready them, and what logistical means they plan to contribute....
The rebels launched their insurgency in January, saying they wanted to establish an independent Tuareg homeland in the north, known as the Azawad. They succeeded in taking only small towns until March 21, when disgruntled soldiers stormed the presidential palace in the distant capital of Bamako, overthrowing the democratically elected president.
In the confusion that followed the coup, the rebels launched a new offensive and succeeded in taking the capitals of the three main northern provinces....
Assarid’s group is the largest rebel group involved in the offensive, but it is not the only one, and in the three main towns in the north, local officials say they cannot be sure which of the rebel armies has the upper hand. Western observers have expressed concern over the presence of an Islamist faction called Ansar Dine, which planted its ominous black flag in all three of the provincial capitals. This week, the group announced it was imposing Sharia law in the ancient city of Timbuktu.
The hallmarks of an intelligence agency operation.
The mayor of Timbuktu said nearly all of the estimated 300 Christians based in the city fled after Ansar Dine’s spiritual chief Iyad Ag Ghali gave an interview on local radio outlining the tenets of Sharia law: Women are to be covered at all times, thieves will have their hands cut off, and adulterers will be stoned.
“The problem for us is that we don’t know who is the master of our town,’’ said the mayor, Ousmane Halle, explaining that the Islamist faction had taken over the city’s military camp, while the NMLA was stationed at the airport.
“What I deplore is the departure of the Christian community,’’ he said. The city has been honored as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its collection of ancient Islamic manuscripts, propagating a moderate interpretation of the religion.
“Many said to me that they are obliged to leave,’’ he said. “And they are right. I cannot guarantee their safety. And these are people that have lived side by side with us for centuries.’’
That's why I no longer believe the Zionist canard of sectarianism.
In a statement, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday strongly condemned the forcible seizure of power in Mali.
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"Head of Parliament returns from exile
BAMAKO - This nation’s parliamentary head, forced into exile after last month’s coup, returned Saturday, marking the first step in Mali’s path back to constitutional rule. Dioncounda Traore, 70, was in Burkina Faso on March 21 when soldiers stormed the presidential palace (AP)."
"Leader of Mali coup signs accord to restore democracy" by Rukmini Callimachi | Associated Press, April 07, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali - Under intense pressure from the nations bordering Mali, the junior officer who seized control of the country in a coup last month signed an accord late Friday agreeing to return the country to constitutional rule.
The announcement was made only hours after separatist rebels in the country’s north declared their independence, a move that further complicates a crisis that began March 21 when a group of disgruntled soldiers began shooting in the air at a military base, located just miles from the presidential palace.
On Friday, Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo emerged from his office inside that same base, which served as the de facto seat of government ever since he and his men decided to march from the barracks to the presidential palace, reversing two decades of democratic rule in a single day.
However, the accord did not say what role the military junta or its young leader will play in the future. It also did not state when the head of the assembly will assume the post, or how long the transition will last before new elections are held. Dioncounda Traore, the head of the assembly, fled Mali on the day of the coup.
Article 36 of the constitution says that elections should be held in no more than 40 days. The accord stated that that timeframe will likely need to be extended, due to rebellion which has turned the northern half of the country into a war zone.
“Because of the exceptional circumstances that the country is going through, because of the institutional crisis and the armed rebellion in the north, which have badly affected the functioning of the institutions of the republic, and because of the impossibility of organizing elections in 40 days,’’ Sanogo said. “It is indispensable to organize a political transition with the aim of organizing free, democratic, and transparent elections in all parts of the country.’’
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So the coup basically has the blessing of the "world community?"
"Mali’s interim president sworn in" Associated Press, April 13, 2012
BAMAKO, Mali - Amid the political upheaval, separatist rebels in northern Mali declared an independent state that is larger than France. The power vacuum also has allowed an Islamic faction that wants to impose Sharia law in the area to flourish.
The new interim president's swearing-in ceremony came as the United Nations expressed growing concern about reports of violence in the north, where fighters are divided between a secular group and an Islamist faction.
Militants from Al Qaeda’s North Africa branch are also in the area.
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Related: Joe Camel Works For "Al-CIA-Duh"
"Assassination follows Guinea-Bissau vote" March 20, 2012
BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau - A presidential election that was supposed to stabilize this coup-prone nation was marred by a military assassination just hours after polls closed Sunday....
It was unclear whether the assassination is linked to Sunday’s presidential election, an emergency ballot that was called after the country’s former leader, Malam Bacai Sanha, a 64-year-old diabetic, died in France on Jan. 9 after multiple hospitalizations abroad. Sanha had come to power in another emergency election in 2009.
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"Guinea-Bissau prime minister detained" Associated Press, April 14, 2012
BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau - Soldiers have arrested the prime minister of this tiny nation known for transiting cocaine to Europe, a military spokesman said Friday, the latest instability to roil a coup-prone West African country where no leader in nearly 40 years has finished his time in office.
The announcement of Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Jr.’s detention came hours after his home came under attack by grenades.
Guinea-Bissau was due to hold a contentious presidential runoff election on April 29, and Gomes was the front-runner.
The timing of Thursday’s power grab was not accidental, said Martin Roberts, a West Africa analyst with IHS Global Insight.
“It looks like what they don’t want is the person who probably was going to become president to win the second round,’’ he said.
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