Behind the Coup in Mali

On the ground in Bamako, development expert Hervé Bisseleua speaks to The Mark about the rebel massacre of government soldiers that set the stage for the coup.


On Mar. 21, Mali’s democratically elected government was overthrown in a military coup led by Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo. Due to mounting pressure from the international community, particularly the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the coup leaders are being pressured to return power to the elected government. Following a visit from ECOWAS representatives, the coup leaders recently unveiled a new constitution and pledged to hold elections that return the country to civilian leadership.


What can you tell us about the coup in Mali?

On Jan. 29, more than 160 young soldiers, most from the military base of Kati near Bamako, were brutally killed by Tuareg rebels from Aguelhoc, northern Mali. Understandably, this created outrage in Mali.

In early February, the mothers, wives, and sisters of the assassinated young soldiers responded by organizing demonstrations. Those demonstrations ended at Koulouba, the presidential palace, where the protesters were received by then-president Amadou Toumani Touré (ATT). They charged that the government had not given the troops the arms, ammunition, and food supplies that they needed in order to defend themselves and fight off the rebels. They urgently requested that the government provide the military with those things now. ATT assured the women that he would take all necessary steps to stop the rebellion.
In the weeks that followed, several other demonstrations took place. On Mar. 21, the defense minister visited the military camp Kati (where many of the soldiers who were killed had been deployed) in order to quell the dissatisfaction of the soldiers there. Things got out of hand, however, when an altercation occurred between the soldiers and the minister’s bodyguards, in which it is reported that the bodyguards made use of their guns to keep the soldiers from assaulting them.

The minister managed to escape with the help of his bodyguards, generating more anger and frustration among the soldiers and their families. The soldiers rushed to the ammunition warehouses and organized a protest march to Koulouba and ORTM, the national radio and television station, to make their anger known to the nation.

It is at this stage that everything transpired very fast and nobody really knows what happened.

All we know for sure is that at 4 a.m. on Mar. 22, ORTM informed us that Captain Sanogo had become the new leader, as president of the Comité national pour le redressement de la démocratie et la restauration de l’État (CNRDRE).

What is the current mood among the population in Bamako?


When the public was first informed of the coup, there was immense confusion and uncertainty in Mali. Nobody was familiar with the new regime, and its first TV message was not convincing. People were afraid the country might sink into chaos. Some opportunistic soldiers and street boys took advantage of the confusion, looting, ransacking, and robbing several public services and some private houses in Bamako and Kayes. But they were all arrested, with stolen items recovered, and they are now awaiting trials.

After a few days, everything started gradually going back to normal. Gas stations and some businesses reopened. The public transport system has been fully operating since Saturday afternoon. And, on Sunday, the common saying, “Un dimanche à Bamako, c’est le jour de mariage” was respected as several couples were united and paraded through the city on jakarta (motorbikes) as usual, followed by horns and shouts of joy.

On Thursday, Mar. 22, the new regime enforced a curfew, prohibiting people from being out in the streets between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. But this was only respected on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, I was able to tour my neighbourhood from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., interacting with several youth groups that are very supportive of the coup. Their support of the coup stems mainly from the fact that the former regime was unable to successfully tackle the rebellion in the north.

Actually, Malians are not worried – they are returning peacefully to their respective activities. Yesterday, I spoke with a lady who owns one of the few modern unisex barbing saloons in Bamako, and she said they will reopen because they must work to pay their bills and provide for their respective families. The new regime asked people to reopen their businesses as of Tuesday, Mar. 27.

For their part, all of the 12 main political parties condemned the coup and unanimously urged the new regime to restore the constitution and return power to civilians. There is also a growing concern about the situation of the former president, something Sanogo is not saying much about.

The coup came just two weeks before there was to be an election. What motivated the coup leaders to take this action now?


The main motivation, as I mentioned, was the rebellion happening in the North. Also, ATT did not critically weigh the various protests and outrages expressed by the Malian people regarding the rebellion and their intention to break the country motto, “Un people, un but, une foi” (One people, one goal, one faith).

A critical analysis of the situation tells us that the coup was unplanned. But a number of factors pushed it to a breaking point: the altercation with the defence minister at Kati, the poor communication from the former regime on what is really happening in the North, and frustration among members of the military corps who suspect that their northern colleagues, including ATT (who is from the North), are backing or protecting the rebels. (We should recall that more than 500 million CFA francs have been spent in the last year to settle rebellion in the North, and that more than half of this money never reached the beneficiaries – due to unknown reasons).

ATT wanted to solve the rebellion in a diplomatic way, but not everyone in the South supported his strategy. Some southerners were fed-up with the rebellious Tuareg from the North, who they perceived as a liability to the country. Also, in recent weeks, troops short of ammunition and morale have fled several smaller towns because of the rebel advance.

All these events influenced the disgruntled soldiers to overthrow ATT.

Canada has announced it is suspending significant aid to Mali in light of the coup. What should the international community be doing at this time to ensure the safety of the people of Mali?


Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes due to the violence in the North – some displaced within Mali and others travelling to neighbouring countries. Their precarious situation comes as aid agencies are warning that millions face starvation in the region after successive droughts and bad harvests. Right now, Mali needs help. Such help could be provided via various institutions working on the ground to fight poverty and extreme hunger. Canada should work with these institutions to help the people of Mali overcome the current food crisis and political unrest.

Not providing aid to the people of Mali at this crucial moment could be detrimental to the security of the entire Sahel region, and might create both political and environmental refugees who flee to neighbouring countries. Canada should continue to provide help and support not to the government, but to the people of Mali.

Original Article
Source: the mark news
Author: Hervé Bisseleua