Buhari attends virtual ECOWAS session on Mali crisis

 

 

 

ABUJA — PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is currently participating in a virtual Extraordinary Session of the Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS, Authority of Heads of State and Government on the socio-political crisis in Mali. The session, which is being held through video conference, was convened following the recent mutiny by the nation’s military on Tuesday.

Also participating at the virtual meeting with President Buhari from the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada; Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (retd); National Security Adviser, NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd); the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ahmed Rufa’i; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.

Recall that rebel forces, on Tuesday afternoon, arrested President Ibrahim Keita of Mali and his Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse, and took them to a military base on the outskirts of Bamako, which they had seized that morning. Keita later reportedly announced early Wednesday that he had resigned to avert “bloodshed.” ECOWAS, in a swift reaction, condemned the mutiny and vowed stiff sanctions against Mali, among which it said would be closure of land and air borders of West African neighbours against the country and closure of diplomatic missions.

Ebirien Ephraim