Envoys meet Mali’s ousted president and military junta

BAMAKO: A West African delegation met with Mali’s military junta and the president it ousted, in a bid to push for a speedy return to civilian rule after a coup in the troubled nation.

The delegation, headed by former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, held talks for half an hour with soldiers who seized power on Tuesday, including new strongman Col Assimi Goita, an AFP journalist said on Saturday.

Three envoys from the regional Ecowas bloc then met with ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita at an undisclosed location, Jonathan told AFP, adding that the “negotiations are going well”.

Rebel soldiers seized Keita and other leaders after a mutiny on Tuesday, dealing another deep blow to a country already struggling with a brutal Islamist insurgency and widespread public discontent over its government.

Keita is being held with prime minister Boubou Cisse in the Kati military base outside the capital Bamako where the coup was unleashed.

Mali’s neighbours have called for Keita to be reinstated, saying the purpose of the delegation’s visit was to help “ensure the immediate return of constitutional order”.

“Ecowas appreciates what is happening in Mali and wants the best for the country,” Jonathan said after his arrival.

“We’re going to discuss with all stakeholders and I think at the end of the day we’ll come out with something that is good for the country, good for Ecowas and good for the international community.” — AFP