BFF-32 Mali president dismisses coup speculation

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MALI-POLITICS-UNREST

Mali president dismisses coup speculation

BAMAKO, Oct 6, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on
Sunday rejected as speculation talk of a military coup after recent jihadist
attacks left dozens of soldiers dead.

Keita said lessons would be learned after 38 soldiers were killed in two
attacks last week near the border with Burkina Faso, a death toll that
observers say is probably an underestimate.

“No military coup will prevail in Mali, let it be said,” the president said
in remarks recorded Saturday and released on Sunday. “And I don’t think this
is on the agenda at all and cannot worry us,” he added.

“We are at war,” the president said after the attacks last Monday and
Tuesday in the towns of Boulkessy and Mondoro, which evoked memories of a
2012 army coup in the former French colony.

“What happened at Boulkessy could unfortunately happen again,” Keita said.

The assailants used heavily armed vehicles in the raids on the two
military camps, during which the government said troops killed 15 jihadists.

The jihadists made off with a large quantity of arms, ammunition and
equipment — local media said about 20 vehicles were captured, including some
mounted with machine guns.

Sources said Malian special forces and foreign allies, including French
warplanes and helicopters, helped to quash the attacks.

BSS/AFP/RY/20:15 hrs