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MALI: Several political and military leaders arrested

 

Gunmen have carried out Monday night and Tuesday in Bamako in a wave of arrests of politicians and military leaders in what appears to be a takeover of the former military junta to power in Mali which is still awaiting the appointment of a transitional Prime Minister.

Among those arrested were the heavyweights of politics Mali, Modibo Sidibe which, ex-Prime Minister of President Amadou Toumani Toure (ATT) on March 22 overturned by a coup d State and Soumaila Cisse, former minister and former head of the Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (UEMOA).

Both were among the major presidential candidates originally scheduled on April 29, canceled by the de facto coup. 

Modibo Sidibé, Prime Minister of ATT from 2007 to 2011, had been arrested during the coup and released after several days of incarceration, before be again briefly detained last week. He has this time been arrested Monday night at his home.

Soumaila Cisse has been arrested him Tuesday morning and taken by ambulance to Kati, told AFP from his family that he feared no one was injured . Gunmen partially ransacked his home Monday night where they had not found.

The Director General of Police, General Mahamadou Diagouraga, former defense minister, General Sadio Gassama, and General Hamidou Sissoko, chief of army staff of ex-President Toure, were also arrested Monday night at their homes by their families.

Bani Kante, former presidential adviser and representative of the Libyan interests in Mali, and a general of police, were also arrested and taken to the military camp Kati, according to their surroundings.

A Malian security source confirmed the arrests. Questioned by AFP, an official close to the former junta, said that "when the time comes, say what you are accused."

An astrophysicist may Premier

The former junta led by Captain Amadou Sanogo Haya had finally agreed under pressure from neighboring Mali to make rapid power to civilians, following an agreement signed to end the crisis on April 6 with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

But observers in Bamako, the coup leaders, who were granted amnesty, have never considered to be permanently removed and intend to show that these arrests will have to reckon with them during the transition period that opens, but that is slow to develop. 

Former president of the National Assembly, Dioncounda Traore was invested Head of State on April 12 Acting in accordance with the agreement to end the crisis, Five days after s, his Prime Minister, who shall be appointed by consensus, has not yet been named.

The agreement between the junta and ECOWAS states that it will have "full powers" and a government of "national unity", including military.

Among the names circulating for the job, is that of the Malian astrophysicist Cheick Modibo Diarra, who has participated in a program of NASA, the U.S. space agency, and was launched in policy in March 2011 creating the Rally for Mali's development (RPDM), in preparation for the 2012 presidential election. 

The priority of the Prime Minister will try to resolve the crisis in the North where, thanks to the coup of March, Tuareg rebels, Islamist movements and various criminal groups, led a crushing offensive and occupied for the immense arid region.

Initial contacts have already been made with some of these movements since the inauguration of Dioncounda Traore. If the dialogue fails, it has promised "total war and implacable".

The offensive by armed groups in the North, took three days in the main cities of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal, held today by the Islamists, has yet proved that the Malian army, under- equipped and demoralized, was not qualified to conduct such a war.