How Jonathan secured release of Mali’s President Ndaw, PM Ouane

Mediation efforts by ex-President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, led to the release of the initial interim Mali’s President, Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister, Moctar Ouane, by their captors.

This was enclosed in a statement named, ‘Mali’s President, Prime Minister released after Jonathan’s mediation’, endorsed by the Media Office of Jonathan, on Thursday.

The statement declared that leaders of Mali’s military freed transitional President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane from detention after intervention from previous President Goodluck Jonathan, who is the mediator of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Mali.

It stated that Jonathan travelled to Bamako on Tuesday where he met with the military leaders and other shareholders after the unexpected developments in the transition process which led to the detention of the two leaders by the Vice President, Col. Assimi Goita-led military junta.

The statement partly read, “The mediator and his team had on Wednesday, obtained the commitment of the military leaders to release Ndaw and Ouane, after visiting them at Kati Barracks, near Bamako where they were being held, to ascertain their health condition.

“Before visiting the President and Prime Minister in detention, Jonathan had met with Colonel Goita where he demanded their unconditional release and urged the authorities to maintain peace and stability, which, according to him, are key to the conduct of the transitional process.

“The release of President Ndaw and Prime Minister Ouane early Thursday morning came three days after they were detained and stripped of their powers, nine months after they were appointed to lead the transition government.”

Jonathan is expected to submit a report about the situation to the leadership of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Thursday.