Border Closures and Curfew in Effect After Coup in Mali

Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta has resigned and dissolved the government and parliament after mutinying soldiers detained him and multiple other officials on Tuesday. The president resigned in a brief address on state television.

Keïta, who has served as president since 2013, won a second term in a 2018 election, but there has been widespread anger in Mali in recent months over corruption, economic mismanagement, and disputes over legislative elections. Military troops have also grown frustrated about pay and a continuing conflict with terrorists.

Keïta and Prime Minister Boubou Cissé were taken to a military camp near the capital, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and the African Union. As a result of the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced that all 15 of its member states have agreed to close their borders with Mali, suspend all financial flows to the country, and eject Mali from all ECOWAS decision-making bodies, the BBC reported.

According to a statement read out by the deputy chief of staff of the Mali air force, air and land borders are currently closed, and a curfew is in place from 9:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m. until further notice.

The UN Security Council is meeting today to discuss the developments.