Breaking: Buhari attends ongoing virtual ECOWAS meeting on Mali coup

<!– President Muhammadu Buhari in an ECOWAS virtual meeting on Mali –>

President Muhammadu Buhari in an ECOWAS virtual meeting on Mali

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari is currently participating in the ongoing Virtual Extraordinary Session of the Authority Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Heads of State and Government.

The urgent meeting is to deliberate and take position on the coup d’tat in Mali.

Buhari had signified interest to attend the meeting on Wednesday following the coup in the troubled West African country.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is participating in a Virtual Extraordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.

“Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo is presiding over a Virtual Meeting of the National Economic Council,” the official twitter handle of the presidency said on Thursday.

The coup in Mali started with a mutiny at Kati Garrison, 15 Km from Bamako on Tuesday.

President Boubacar Keita, Prime Minister Boubou Cisse and others, who were arrested by the mutinous soldiers, are still being detained at the Kati barracks.

Colonel Assimi Goita has emerged the head of the military junta in Mali that ousted Keita on Tuesday.

Goita introduced himself Wednesday at a meeting with the secretaries-generals of government ministries.

He chose the title of President.

“Let me introduce myself: I am Colonel Assimi Goita, the president of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People,” he told the press at the meeting,

Until his appointment as head of the CNSP, Goita was head of special forces in central Mali.

One of the colonels who was constantly mentioned since the putsch yesterday, Colonel Malick DIAW, was named vice-president of the National Committee for People’s Salvation.

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