Buhari, Jonathan Meet Over Mali Coup

By Olamilekan Alani

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday received his immediate predecessor in office, Goodluck Jonathan, at the State House, Abuja.

Jonathan is the ECOWAS Special Envoy to the Republic of Mali.

He briefed the president on the political situation in the West African country.

The meeting coincides with the reports of soldier arrests of  some senior officers  in an apparent mutiny.

Jonathan, who was in Mali from Monday to Thursday last week, recounted his meetings with the stakeholders.

They include political and religious leaders, Ambassadors of US, France, Russia, Germany, European Union.

M5-RFP, the main opposition group, insists on the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

But ECOWAS insists it cannot order a sitting president to vacate office.

“We told them that no international organization, including the African Union, United Nations and others, would agree with their position. We continued to emphasize the need for dialogue,” Jonathan stressed.

Buhari thanked Jonathan for “the stamina you have displayed” on the Mali issue.

He counseled further consultations with the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic.