-0- PANA MON/SEG 22Mar2012
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday condemned "in strong terms" reports that Malian rebel soldiers have ousted the country's democratically-elected government of President Amadou Toumani Toure, calling it “an apparent setback to the consolidation of democracy in Mali in particular and the African continent in general.”
In a statement made available to PANA here, President Jonathan warned the coup plotters to allow the ongoing democratic process in the country to run its full course and not to do anything that would truncate the electoral process especially the presidential election slated for next month.
"President Jonathan, who also cautioned against the shedding of innocent blood and unnecessary destruction of property of the citizens and foreigners resident in Mali, stressed that the coup plotters have only embarked on a fruitless mission of supplanting a constitutional government by other means, which goes against the current global grain of constitutionalism."
Emphasizing that the Nigerian Government would never recognize any unconstitutional regime, the President urged "all well-meaning governments in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to roundly condemn the obvious coup d’état in Bamako and demand an immediate reinstatement of the government of President Toure and the continuation of the current electoral process."
In an earlier statement Thursday, the 15-member regional bloc warned it will not tolerate any attempt to take power by unconstitutional means in Mali.
''ECOWAS strongly condemns the misguided actions of the mutineers and warns that it will not condone any recourse to violence as a means of seeking redress. The Commission wishes to remind the military of its responsibility under the Constitution, and to reiterate ECOWAS’ policy of 'Zero Tolerance' for any attempt to obtain or maintain power by unconstitutional means.
''ECOWAS is closely monitoring developments in the country and will respond appropriately to any attempts to further disturb the precarious security situation,'' it warned.
Renegade Malian troops claimed Thursday to have taken control of the government, following a mutiny that started Wednesday to protest the government's handling of the Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali.
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday condemned "in strong terms" reports that Malian rebel soldiers have ousted the country's democratically-elected government of President Amadou Toumani Toure, calling it “an apparent setback to the consolidation of democracy in Mali in particular and the African continent in general.”In a statement made available to PANA here, President Jonathan warned the coup plotters to allow the ongoing democratic process in the country to run its full course and not to do anything that would truncate the electoral process especially the presidential election slated for next month.
"President Jonathan, who also cautioned against the shedding of innocent blood and unnecessary destruction of property of the citizens and foreigners resident in Mali, stressed that the coup plotters have only embarked on a fruitless mission of supplanting a constitutional government by other means, which goes against the current global grain of constitutionalism."
Emphasizing that the Nigerian Government would never recognize any unconstitutional regime, the President urged "all well-meaning governments in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to roundly condemn the obvious coup d’état in Bamako and demand an immediate reinstatement of the government of President Toure and the continuation of the current electoral process."
In an earlier statement Thursday, the 15-member regional bloc warned it will not tolerate any attempt to take power by unconstitutional means in Mali.
''ECOWAS strongly condemns the misguided actions of the mutineers and warns that it will not condone any recourse to violence as a means of seeking redress. The Commission wishes to remind the military of its responsibility under the Constitution, and to reiterate ECOWAS’ policy of 'Zero Tolerance' for any attempt to obtain or maintain power by unconstitutional means.
''ECOWAS is closely monitoring developments in the country and will respond appropriately to any attempts to further disturb the precarious security situation,'' it warned.
Renegade Malian troops claimed Thursday to have taken control of the government, following a mutiny that started Wednesday to protest the government's handling of the Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali.
No comments:
Post a Comment