The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) has suspended the membership of Mali and increased international pressure on the military for seizing power in Mali through a coup d’etat that displaced President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse.
It should be recalled that rebel troops captured Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse in a switf escalation of a months-long crisis and announced military rule.
Adjoining West African countries like Nigeria, the European Union (EU), France and the African Union (AU) have spoken against the coup and rejected any unconstitutional change of power in Mali.
The leadership of OIF has suspended Mali after meeting through video conference and said that the body would cooperate with the Malian junta as long as it would help Mail’s civilian population and facilitate a transition to democracy.
In a statement, the OIF called for the freedom of the ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and requested for an urgent establishment of “a transition government led by an civilian authority”.
OIF’s decison came a day after ECOWAS envoys led by former Nigeria President ,Goodluck Jonathan and the new Malian military rulers could not agree on a timetable that would return Mali to democratic rule.
Also, the suspension came after ECOWAS suspended Mali from it’s membership and said the coup was unconstitutional.
