The soldiers who ousted Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta say they plan to set up a civilian transitional government and hold new elections. The spokesman for the soldiers said they acted to prevent the country falling further into chaos.
President Keïta resigned on Tuesday night saying he did not want “blood to be spilled to keep me in power.” The African Union, regional leaders, and the UN have condemned the coup. The soldiers, calling themselves the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, said they did not want to stay in power.
“We are keen on the stability of the country, which will allow us to organise general elections to allow Mali to equip itself with strong institutions within the reasonable time limit,” said Col Ismaël Wagué, the group’s spokesman.
