Canada closes embassy in Mali
Renegade soldiers stage coup d’état
Canada has closed its embassy in Mali, following a military coup that has plunged the west African country in chaos and violence.
“The embassy in Bamako will be closed until further notice,” Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs announced on Twitter on Thursday morning.
The department is warning Canadians in Mali – especially those in the capital Bamako – to hunker down and stay safe.
“Those located in the Bamako affected neighbourhoods are advised to remain where they are,” the department tweeted. “Canadians in Bamako are advised to minimize their movements and stay away from the airport until further notice.”
Renegade soldiers launched a coup d’état against President Amadou Toumani Touré, ousting him from power in advance of elections scheduled for April 29. Touré is now in a “safe and secure location,” a defence ministry spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal.
The coup comes on the heels of Touré’s failed campaign to repress Tuareg rebels in the country’s north, many of whom served as mercenaries to late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
At dawn on Thursday, a group of some 20 soldiers took to the airwaves, declaring themselves the National Committee for the Re-establishment of Democracy.
“The CNRDR representing all the elements of the armed forces, defensive forces and security forces has decided to assume its responsibilities and end the incompetent and disavowed regime of Amadou Toumani Touré,” they said.
“The objective of the CNRDR does not in any way aim to confiscate power, and we solemnly swear to return power to a democratically elected president as soon as national unity and territorial integrity are established.”
The department of Foreign Affairs is urging Canadians in Mali to avoid all travel to Bamako.
“Canadians in mali who are not yet registered with our embassy in Bamako should do so now,” the department said via Twitter. “Canadians in Mali requiring emergency assistance – contact us at 613944-2471 or sosinternational.gc.ca.”