A meeting of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) delegation led by former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan with Mali’s coup leaders ended barely after 20 minutes.
The coup in Mali is celebrated by many Malian citizens though the international community has condemned the ouster of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita at a time when the country faces Islamist insurgency and months of mass protests.
An ECOWAS delegation arrived in the capital, Bamako, for deliberations aimed at returning the country to civilian rule.
Head of the delegation, Jonathan sounded optimistic of persuading the coup leaders ahead of a series of meetings with the mutineers and other groups.
Jonathan in a chat with reporters said, “I believe at the end of the day we will come up with something that is best for the people and is good for ECOWAS and the international community.”
There was a meeting of the concerned parties at the defense ministry, which the coup leader Assimi Goita, attended dressed in a desert camouflage uniform and flanked by other military personnel.
The meeting lasted for 20 minutes, though provisional ECOWAS schedule seen by Reuters said it was for 90 minutes.
However, it was unclear if the schedule was adjusted or the talks were cut short. Neither ECOWAS nor the coup leaders, tagged the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), have commented on the discussions.
According to reports, the presidents of Ivory Coast and Guinea are among those pushing for the tough ECOWAS response, as both have faced violent public protests to their third-term bids and want the bloc to show it will not allow power grabs in its own backyard.
Source: CGTN