Moscow says release of Mali’s interim leaders ‘step in right direction’

FILE PHOTO: The new interim president of Mali Bah Ndaw is sworn in during the Inauguration ceremony in Bamako, Mali September 25, 2020. REUTERS/Amadou Keita

MOSCOW — Russia on Friday hailed the release of Mali’s interim leaders by the military as a “step in the right direction” and called for dialogue between all political players.

The release of President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane is a “step in the right direction” that helps reduce tensions, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

“We are calling for constructive dialogue between all political forces in Mali for the sake of unity and stability in the country,” it added.

Military officers detained the interim leaders on Monday, before stripping them of their powers and freeing them on Thursday.

The move marked the second apparent military coup in Mali within one year.

Earlier Friday several hundred Malians rallied in the capital Bamako to support the army, as well as Russia, AFP journalists said, after the military reasserted control in the unstable Sahel state this week.

Some also waved Russian flags and toted placards attacking France, Mali’s former colonial master, which has deployed troops to the country to help it in its fight against jihadist insurgents.

The Russian foreign ministry said it was keenly watching the events in Mali and urged the current authorities to resume cooperation with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Moscow encouraged Mali to eventually hold “democratic elections” with the support of ECOWAS and the African Union.

Though never a colonial power in Africa, Moscow was a crucial player on the continent in the Soviet era, backing independence movements and training a generation of African leaders.

Russia’s ties with Africa declined with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and in recent years China has emerged as a key foreign power on the continent.

But President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin has sought to play catch-up and reassert its influence on the continent.

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