Moscow considers the release of illegally detained civilian leaders in Mali a step in the right direction, which somewhat reduces tensions in the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on Friday.
"We note that the illegally detained civilian leaders of Mali were released on May 27. We regard this as a step in the right direction, which to a certain extent reduces the tension in the country and can be regarded as a prologue to the resumption by the current Malian authorities of cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, international partners to return Mali to a civil form of government," the document says.
Russia supports the organization of a constructive dialogue between all political forces of the country, the Foreign Ministry stressed. "We call on all parties to restraint and peaceful resolution of differences. We believe there is no alternative to an early return to solving the problems of the transition period in Mali with the result that general democratic elections will be held on time with the assistance of the ECOWAS and the African Union," summed up Smolenskaya Square.
On May 24, the Malian news portal Studio Tamani reported that the interim president of Mali, Bah Ndaw and the head of the transitional government of the country, Moctar Ouane, were taken by a group of soldiers to Kati army base near the capital city of Bamako. Mali Vice President Assimi Goita announced on Tuesday that he had suspended the president and prime minister because they had violated last August's transitional charter, which temporarily replaced the constitution. Goita said that in appointing ministers to the new government, the president and prime minister had violated a crucial provision of the transitional charter by failing to coordinate the power bloc with the vice president.
On May 27, Agence France-Presse, citing the military, reported that those arrested had announced their resignation from their posts and had been released.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: MFA
Based on materials TASS