Former Mali Prime Minister Boubou Cisse charged for alleged coup against current govt

Former Malian Prime Minister Boubou Cisse has been charged by the state prosecutor's office for allegedly planning a coup against the interim government, according to Bloomberg. Cisse, who himself was ousted in a coup last year, was charged on Thursday, along with five others, for allegedly participating in crimes, including an attempt to destabilize the current government. According to the report, Cisse had earlier dismissed the allegations of planning a coup against the government.

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According to the report, Cisse couldn't be detained, but five others, including his half-brother Aguibou Tall, were taken into custody on Friday. The lawyers of those charged with crimes to destabilize the government said that none of their clients have any ties with members of the military. Although the term "attempted coup" was not used by the prosecutor's office in its statement, the lawyers used it while issuing a statement on behalf of their clients. 

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2020 coup by the military

Former Prime Minister Boubou Cisse and ex-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita were ousted in a coup by the military on August 18, 2020. The military rulers then handed the power over to an interim government fearing international sanctions. The coup was triggered by a series of protests against the government earlier in 2020, demanding the resignation of Cisse and Keita. When the two refused to give up the power, the military orchestrated the coup to bring down the government. 

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The Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS) imposed an embargo on Mali after the coup carried out by a faction in the Army. The ECOWAS in October lifted the sanctions citing "notable advances towards constitutional normalization" after the military junta named an interim civilian government and announced elections in 2022. the coup was also condemned by the international community, including the United Nations, the European Union, and France, the former colonizer of Mali. The African country is currently suffering from radical Islamic terrorism.

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