Jonathan briefs Buhari on Mali situation

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the situation in Mali.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, who disclosed this in a statement, said Jonathan had during a closed-door meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, told President Buhari that leaders of the coup plotters were seeking to stay in power for three years before holding elections.

The meeting between the two leaders comes ahead of an extraordinary summit by ECOWAS heads of state and leaders slated for Friday.

Jonathan is ECOWAS Special Envoy to Mali.

At the meeting, the president said the priority of the sub-regional body was on how to secure the landlocked West African nation which is currently occupied by terrorists.

He said: “About two-thirds of Mali is occupied by terrorists, and it makes common sense to secure the country, rather than pursuing individual interests.”

He added that ECOWAS would take a common position on the matter at Friday’s meeting.

READ ALSO: ECOWAS delegation meets ousted Mali president, coup plotters in Bamako

Jonathan told President Buhari the military leaders asked ECOWAS to lift sanctions put in place as it was already affecting the country.

He said: “But we told them that the authority to do such was only in the hands of ECOWAS heads of state.

“They call themselves National Committee for the Salvation of the People. We asked them to allow ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to return to his personal residence, where he would be given tight security, but they said he could travel abroad, and not return to answer questions they may have for him.

“We also told them that what would be acceptable to ECOWAS was an Interim Government headed by a civilian or retired military officer, to last for six or nine months, and a maximum of 12 calendar months.

“The Interim Government would then organise elections to restore full constitutional order.”

Some mutinous soldiers had earlier this month toppled the government in Mali after detaining the president and other top government officials in a military formation near Bamako, the country’s capital.

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