European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton on Monday called for the immediate restoration of the Constitution of Mali following the toppling of the West African country's government in a military coup.
In a statement issued by her office, Ashton called on all parties involved "to maintain restraint with a view to restoring the authority of the elected representatives and to cooperate to ensure the early holding of elections and a quick return to democracy."
She also urged separatist Tuareg rebels in the country's north "to stop military activities and to engage in negotiations with the legitimate representatives of the State."
Welcoming actions taken by the regional grouping ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations as well as the neighboring countries to help Mali's quick return to constitutional order, Ashton expressed hopes that "the EU can quickly resume its full cooperation with Mali on the basis of a clear roadmap for return to the constitutional order agreed by all stakeholders."
The EU has already suspended its development operations in Mali "until the situation clarifies," retaining only its humanitarian aid to the country, following the coup. Most other members of the international community, including the U.N., the U.S. and France, have condemned the coup and called for the restoration of the civilian government at the earliest.
Their response came after mutinous soldiers in Mali announced last Thursday that they had seized power after overthrowing the regime of President Amadou Toumani Toure, which they accused of mishandling a military campaign against the separatist insurgency movement in the North.
In an announcement on national television early on Thursday, the renegade troops, identified themselves as the "Committee for the Re-establishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State," said a nationwide curfew was in force and that the country's Constitution remained suspended and other public institutions dissolved.
A spokesman for the group, Lt. Amadou Konare, declared that they had ousted the "incompetent regime" of President Toure over its "inability" to "fight terrorism." He added that the group would hand over power back to a democratically-elected government at a later date.
Toure is currently believed to be in hiding after escaping an attack on the presidential palace by the mutinous soldiers. A former paratroop commander, Toure has been in power in Mali since 2002. He had led a coup that ousted long-time President Moussa Traore in 1991, but returned power back to civilians a year later, and got elected to office for the first time in 2002. Toure was due to step down next month after serving two presidential terms.
The mutiny was initially staged by several dozen soldiers at a military camp in the capital before spreading to other parts of the country. The unrest was sparked after Defense Minister Gen. Sadio Gassama visited the camp. Reports say the soldiers were angered over the Minister's failure to address their demand for better supplies and arms to tackle an uprising by Tuareg rebels in the North.
The Tuareg uprising demanding independence began decades ago, but it intensified after the return of hundreds of Tuareg fighters who fought in Libya last year on behalf of Col. Moammar Qadhafi. It is reported that dozens of soldiers have been killed in fighting Tuareg insurgents in recent months. However, the government is yet to announce the official death toll. The conflict has also forced more than 200,000 people to flee the region known as 'Azawad.'
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