CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE COALITION STATEMENT ON THE SITUATION IN MALI

19 August 2020

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC) notes the disturbing developments in Mali following the arrest and detention of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse by mutinying soldiers on Tuesday night.

We wish to condemn this undemocratic move by the military in Mali and we call upon the military to release President Keita and all the detained government officials with immediate effect.

We reiterate our stance, that we do not support any unconstitutional take-over of government and therefore we commend the stance taken by ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations in condemning this undemocratic action by the military which has no place in modern-day democracy.

The military involvement in civilian politics poses threats to human security, democracy and regional security and stability in ECOWAS, if left unresolved, it threatens to destabilize the ECOWAS region and violates the spirit and letter of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

The February 2010 summit of the African Union (AU) proclaimed a policy of “zero tolerance” for military coups and other violations of democratic standards. We call on the respect of the constitution and a return to constitutional rule and we stand guided by the then Organisation of African Unity’s Lomé Declaration of 2000 that outlawed unconstitutional changes of government. A principle adopted by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the AU’s 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

We, therefore, call for the immediate intervention of ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) to stop the coup before the situation deteriorates into anarchy. In the same vein, ECOWAS must urgently deploy its special envoy to begin a progressive people centred dialogue process to find a solution to the crisis.

The Coalition stands with the people of Mali and we urge them to remain steadfast and demand that the military goes back to the barracks.

Issued by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition