French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the European Union will impose sanctions on those people in Mali behind the arrest of the interim president and prime minister.
Speaking at the end of an EU summit, Mr Macron called the action on Monday an “unacceptable coup within a coup”.
“In the coming hours, we are prepared to take targeted sanctions against those taking part,” Mr Macron told reporters at the end of an EU summit.
Meanwhile, France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is quoted by Reuters as saying in parliament, “we are demanding the release of the authorities, whose security must be guaranteed, and the immediate resumption of the normal process of transition (towards democracy)”.
“If there is no return to a transition, we will take immediate measures to target those in the military who are hindering the transition,” he added.
Mali’s interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were taken into custody by the military on Monday.
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