The Malian military have detained the president and prime minister of their country’s interim government.
President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were detained on Monday, May 24, 2021.
Their detentions came hours after a government reshuffle left out two soldiers who led the coup in August 2020.
There are reported fears of a second military takeover.
In a joint statement, the UN and AU demanded the “immediate and unconditional release” of Mali’s civilian leadership.
The statement indicated that “the international community rejects in advance any act of coercion, including forced resignations”.
The United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS also signed the statement.
By Melvin Tarlue