Nigeria demands return of constitutional order in Mali

 

The Nigerian government has reacted to the crisis in Mali, calling for the immediate and unconditional restoration of constitutional order in the country following the coup that ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama made the call on behalf of the Nigerian government via his verified twitter handle Wednesday.

Onyeama said Nigeria also welcomed the urgent activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force to contain the situation in the West African country.

“The Nigerian government unequivocally condemns the coup d’état that took place in Mali on Tuesday and demands the immediate and unconditional restoration of constitutional order.

“We welcome the urgent activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force,” Onyeama said.

Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse were arrested by the military after a mutiny on Tuesday.

The military intervention comes after several weeks of anti-government protests during which talks between the government and the opposition, led by a popular cleric, Mahmoud Dicko, a former ally of Keita, failed.