The Federal Government has called for the instant and unconditional restoration of constitutional order in Mali following the coup that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama made the call on behalf of the government through his verified twitter handle. He also noted that Nigeria also welcomed the urgent activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force.
Onyeama said the Federal Government condemned the coup d’état that took place in Mali on Tuesday and demands the instant and unconditional restoration of constitutional order.
It would be recalled that Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse were arrested by the military after a mutiny on Tuesday. The incident followed months of street protests in the volatile West African state, which was also battling Islamic insurgency.
The coup is coming after several weeks of political tensions and repeated anti-government protests during which talks between the government and the opposition, led by popular cleric, Mahmoud Dicko, a former ally of Keita, failed.
