The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) has suspended Mali's membership following the West African country's recent military coup, which ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the government
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th August, 2020) The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) has suspended Mali's membership following the West African country's recent military coup, which ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the government.
The OIF is a community of French-speaking countries that includes 88 member states and governments. The organization's decision came late on Tuesday � a day after the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, and Mali's coup leaders failed to agree upon the civilian transition of power in the country.
"The members of the CPF [Permanent Council of La Francophonie] decided to suspend the Republic of Mali's membership in La Francophonie while maintaining the cooperative actions that directly benefit civilians, as well as those that contribute to the restoration of democracy," the statement read.
The organization also urged the military leaders to free Keita and other detained government officials and establish a transitional government led by a civilian authority as soon as possible.
In addition, Louise Mushikiwabo, the OIF's secretary general, said the Francophonie would send its high-level delegation to the Malian capital of Bamako to assess the situation.
The military mutiny rocked Mali on August 18, when a group of Malian soldiers took control over a military base near Bamako and seized Keita and some other high-ranking officials. After Keita announced his resignation and the dissolution of parliament, the rebel leaders established the National Committee for the Salvation of the People as Mali's main governing body.
The ECOWAS alliance said its member states have closed borders, and cut economic and political ties with Mali for the time of the crisis.
