Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Edition:
U.S.
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
Home
Business
Business Home
Economy
Technology
Media
Small Business
Legal
Deals
Earnings
Social Pulse
Business Video
The Freeland File
Markets
Markets Home
U.S. Markets
European Markets
Asian Markets
Global Market Data
Indices
M&A
Stocks
Bonds
Currencies
Commodities
Futures
Funds
peHUB
World
World Home
U.S.
Brazil
China
Euro Zone
Japan
Mexico
Russia
India Insight
World Video
Reuters Investigates
Decoder
Politics
Politics Home
Election 2012
Issues 2012
Candidates 2012
Tales from the Trail
Political Punchlines
Supreme Court
Politics Video
Tech
Technology Home
MediaFile
Science
Tech Video
Tech Tonic
Social Pulse
Opinion
Opinion Home
Chrystia Freeland
John Lloyd
Felix Salmon
Jack Shafer
David Rohde
Bernd Debusmann
Nader Mousavizadeh
Lucy P. Marcus
David Cay Johnston
Bethany McLean
Edward Hadas
Hugo Dixon
Ian Bremmer
Lawrence Summers
Susan Glasser
The Great Debate
Steven Brill
Jack & Suzy Welch
Breakingviews
Equities
Credit
Private Equity
M&A
Macro & Markets
Politics
Breakingviews Video
Money
Money Home
Tax Break
Lipper Awards 2012
Global Investing
MuniLand
Unstructured Finance
Linda Stern
Mark Miller
John Wasik
James Saft
Analyst Research
Alerts
Watchlist
Portfolio
Stock Screener
Fund Screener
Personal Finance Video
Money Clip
Investing 201
Life
Health
Sports
Arts
Faithworld
Business Traveler
Entertainment
Oddly Enough
Lifestyle Video
Pictures
Pictures Home
Reuters Photographers
Full Focus
Video
Reuters TV
Reuters News
Article
Comments (0)
Slideshow
Full Focus
Editor's choice
Our best photos from the last 24 hours. Full Article
Images of February
Follow Reuters
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
YouTube
Read
Obama lawyer asks Supreme Court to save healthcare law
|
5:00pm EDT
Americans angry with Obama over gas prices
27 Mar 2012
Government proposes first carbon limits on power plants
27 Mar 2012
UPDATE 3-Obama lawyer asks US top court to save healthcare law
4:32pm EDT
Stocks follow oil lower on reserve talks
4:30pm EDT
Discussed
223
Cheney recovering after heart transplant: spokeswoman
214
Black friend defends shooter of Florida teen
210
Poll: Americans angry with Obama over gas prices
Watched
Congressman dons a hoodie, gets kicked off House floor
3:33pm EDT
Japanese tsunami boat appears near Canada
Sat, Mar 24 2012
Horror hits the runway in Japan
Fri, Mar 23 2012
Thousands rally for Mali junta, Toure says free
Tweet
Share this
Email
Print
Related News
Thousands rally for Mali junta, against intervention
10:25am EDT
Mali junta says will not stand in planned election
7:34am EDT
Mali neighbors threaten force to reverse coup
Tue, Mar 27 2012
Senegal wakes to new era after Wade bows out
Mon, Mar 26 2012
"Senegal wins" as Wade concedes election defeat
Mon, Mar 26 2012
Analysis & Opinion
Tunisia’s Islamist governing party Ennahda to oppose sharia in constitution
The time for talks in Syria has passed
Related Topics
World »
1 of 2. Malians who back the military coup d'etat, demonstrate in the capital Bamako, March 28, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/David Lewis
By David Lewis
BAMAKO |
Wed Mar 28, 2012 4:56pm EDT
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Thousands of demonstrators chanted pro-junta slogans in Mali's capital on Wednesday, protesting against the threats of foreign powers to use sanctions to force the leaders of last week's military coup to step down.
Deposed leader Amadou Toumani Toure, meanwhile, said in his first public comments since he was ousted that he was free and unharmed somewhere inside the West African nation, and called for a swift solution to the crisis.
The coup, seen as a setback to fragile democratic gains in Africa, was triggered by army anger at Toure's handling of a Tuareg rebellion in north Mali that in recent weeks has gained ground and inflicted losses on the army.
Regional neighbors said they were prepared to use sanctions and possible military force to dislodge Mali's new army leaders, urging them to hand back power to civilians, while former colonial power France has suspended aid.
"I want the international community to shut up. This is our revolution," said youth leader Oumar Diara at the rally - the largest in Bamako since Toure was ousted.
"We, the youth, can live without the international community. We have been living with our eyes closed but now we are waking up," he said.
Protesters chanted "Victory" and "Down with (French President Nicolas) Sarkozy, down with the Westerners" while an opposition politician and junta supporter, Oumar Mariko, called those pressing for sanctions on Mali "traitors". Banners read "Long live the army!" and "Dignity refound!".
Soldiers say they do not have the weapons or resources to halt Tuareg-led northern rebels.
"They (the coup leaders) should stay to resolve the problems in the north, corruption and education. That is more important than elections," said one protester, Khalifa Sogo, of the dissatisfaction felt by many Malians with Toure's rule.
Toure, who was planning to step down after elections in April, told French broadcaster RFI in an interview aired on Wednesday that he was free and unharmed somewhere in Mali.
"I am free in my country," he said in his first public comments since his removal last week.
"The most important thing is not about my well-being. I am two months to the end of my mandate. I think the most important thing today... is to find a way out of the crisis."
He added that he was supportive of proposals by the regional ECOWAS bloc to pressure the junta to step down.
ELECTION PLEDGE
Earlier, Mali's coup leaders announced a new constitution including a pledge to allow elections in which they would be barred from standing. The charter did not specify when the elections would be held.
"Anyone who was a member of the CNRDRE or the government cannot be a candidate in the elections," the new constitution, read out on state television, said of the junta - the National Committee for the Return of Democracy and the Restoration of the State (CNRDRE).
It added that civilians would be offered 15 out of 41 posts in a new transitional authority intended to prepare the path for elections. Captain Amadou Sanogo, a U.S-trained soldier who led the coup, will appoint an interim prime minister and government.
The new constitution guarantees the right to demonstrate or go on strike and grants immunity from prosecution for leaders of a coup in which rights groups say three people have been killed.
On Tuesday leaders of ECOWAS said they would send a delegation of six heads of state to confront the coup leaders this week and call for a return to constitutional order. They are now expected in Bamako on Thursday.
As well as Ivorian President and ECOWAS leader Alassane Ouattara, the delegation includes Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan, Burkina Faso's Blaise Compaore, Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Niger's Mahamadou Issoufou and Benin's Yayi Boni.
A coalition of political parties and civil society groups opposed to the junta have called a protest on Thursday to coincide with the arrival of the ECOWAS leaders.
One of the possible compromises put forward to resolve Mali's crisis has been that Toure be allowed to symbolically return to power so that he resigns and the constitution takes its course, with the president of the national assembly taking over until elections are held.
"Out of principle, he has to be reinstated, even if it is just for one hour or one day," said Tiebile Drame, head of PARENA, the party who first aired the idea. He said the idea had been put to the junta but there has been no official reaction.
In a communique on Tuesday, ECOWAS leaders "instructed the ECOWAS Commission to put the ECOWAS Standby Force in a state of readiness for all eventualities".
However the statement did not any include specifics of possible military action. ECOWAS, which has no standing army of its own, would have to go through potentially lengthy processes to raise sufficient troops from member states.
The national board of the regional central bank BCEAO has decided to continue supplying local banks in Mali with banknotes for the time being, a source said, scotching worries it would cut money supply off to pressure the junta.
(Additional reporting by Adama Diarra; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Mark John and Mark Heinrich)
World
Tweet this
Link this
Share this
Digg this
Email
Reprints
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment on reuters.com.
Add yours using the box above.
Edition:
U.S.
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
Back to top
Reuters.com
Business
Markets
World
Politics
Technology
Opinion
Money
Pictures
Videos
Site Index
Legal
Bankruptcy Law
California Legal
New York Legal
Securities Law
Support & Contact
Support
Corrections
Connect with Reuters
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
RSS
Podcast
Newsletters
Mobile
About
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
AdChoices
Copyright
Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider
An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution
A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance
Our next generation legal research platform
Our global tax workstation
Thomsonreuters.com
About Thomson Reuters
Investor Relations
Careers
Contact Us
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.