Mali coup leader reinstates old constitution, amid international pressure to step down

By Associated Press,

BAMAKO, Mali — The junior officer who overthrew Mali’s democratically elected leader last month and dissolved the nation’s constitution made a public U-turn, declaring amid enormous international pressure that he was reinstating the 1992 constitution and planning to hold elections.

Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo added Sunday that he would organize a national convention to agree on a transitional government which will organize free and fair elections. What he did not make clear is when the convention would be held, or when elections would take place, or if he would remain president during the transitional period.

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  • ( Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press ) - A soldier wears a button bearing the image of coup leader Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo with the words ‘President, CNRDRE,’ the French acronym by which the ruling junta is known, as he stands guard at junta headquarters in Kati, outside Bamako, Mali Sunday, April 1, 2012. The leader of Mali’s recent coup says he is reinstating the nation’s previous constitution amid international pressure to restore constitutional order.
  • ( Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press ) - Coup leader Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo, center, is accompanied by Burkina Faso Foreign Affairs Minister Djibril Bassole, center left, as he addresses the press at junta headquarters in Kati, outside Bamako, Mali Sunday, April 1, 2012. The leader of Mali’s recent coup says he is reinstating the nation’s previous constitution amid international pressure to restore constitutional order. Sanogo said a national convention would be held to organize elections, but he failed to announce a timeline for the elections.
  • ( Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press ) - Coup leader Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo addresses the press, at junta headquarters in Kati, outside Bamako, Mali Sunday, April 1, 2012. The leader of Mali’s recent coup says he is reinstating the nation’s previous constitution amid international pressure to restore constitutional order. Sanogo said a national convention would be held to organize elections, but he failed to announce a timeline for the elections.
  • ( Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press ) - Coup leader Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo, left, addresses the press, at junta headquarters in Kati, outside Bamako, Mali Sunday, April 1, 2012. The leader of Mali’s recent coup says he is reinstating the nation’s previous constitution amid international pressure to restore constitutional order. Sanogo said a national convention would be held to organize elections, but he failed to announce a timeline for the elections.

( Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press ) - A soldier wears a button bearing the image of coup leader Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo with the words ‘President, CNRDRE,’ the French acronym by which the ruling junta is known, as he stands guard at junta headquarters in Kati, outside Bamako, Mali Sunday, April 1, 2012. The leader of Mali’s recent coup says he is reinstating the nation’s previous constitution amid international pressure to restore constitutional order.

Sanogo’s announcement came as Tuareg rebels penetrated and seized control of the ancient northern city of Timbuktu, a move that deepens the crisis in the West African nation.

Tuareg rebels took advantage of the chaos surrounding last week’s coup in the faraway capital to take the town of Kidal, located 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Bamako on Friday. They seized the biggest northern city of Gao, located around 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away on Saturday — cities that never fell in previous rebellions. A resident in Timbuktu said that the rebels entered the town after a heavy firefight, and were going house to house asking people to remain calm.

Mali, once a model democracy, was plunged into crisis on March 21 when a mutiny erupted at the Kati military camp located around 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the presidential palace. The 30-something Sanogo was one of the few officers who didn’t flee the camp when the rank-and-file soldiers began rioting, and he quickly became their leader as they broke into the camp’s armory, grabbed automatic weapons and headed for the seat of government.

His coup reversed 21 years of democracy, and sent President Amadou Toumani Toure into hiding. Toure was due to step down after the presidential election, which was scheduled to take place at the end of this month. Mali’s neighbors had given the country a 72-hour deadline to restore constitutional order, or else face crippling sanctions. Sanogo’s declaration appears intended to stave off the sanctions, which were due to take effect Monday.

A senior adviser to the president of neighboring Ivory Coast said that the regional body representing states in West Africa was considering calling off the sanctions for one week. The information was confirmed by a diplomat from Burkina Faso, the country that is taking the lead in mediating the crisis.

In his declaration, Sanogo said, “We take a solemn promise to re-establish from this day on the constitution of the Republic of Mali of February 25, 1992, as well as the institutions of the republic.”

“Taking into account the multidimensional crisis that our country is facing,” he added, “we have decided that ... we will engage in consultations with all the actors of society in the context of a national convention in order to put in place a transitional body with the aim of organizing calm, free, transparent and democratic elections in which we will not participate.”

 
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