Shortly after the announcement of the ministerial reshuffle on Monday, May 24, the situation became tense in Bamako. Armed men went to the official residence of Prime Minister Moctar Ouane. In the evening, a person close to the Prime Minister said that the President and the Prime Minister had been taken to Kati, the stronghold of the ex-junta.
Shortly after the announcement of the cabinet reshuffle, armed men went to the home of Prime Minister Moctar Ouane. He had time to report the presence of military personnel at his home by telephone: “There are military personnel at my home now. They are taking me to the home of the President of the Transition,” Bah N’Daw, with whom he shares a common wall.
Another witness to the scene added: “It was the men of the ex-junta who forced the Prime Minister to go to the President’s house. They were armed. According to another person close to the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister and the President were taken to Kati. The garrison town about 15 km from the capital is the former stronghold of the ex-junta. Their drivers and guards who accompanied them were asked to return to the Malian capital without them.
The city of Bamako remained fairly calm around 9:00 pm GMT. Traffic continues. And national television even rebroadcast the official communiqué announcing the list of government members last night.
The tenors of the ex-junta did not approve of the reshuffle that saw two of their own leave the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Defense. And both are from the National Guard. For several days, there has been talk here of military discontent. Is this a direct consequence? Some think so. We must wait to know the rest of the story.
According to our information, Goodluck Jonathan, the ECOWAS mediator in the Malian crisis and former Nigerian president, is expected in Bamako on Tuesday.