Question:
On 22/3/2012, a military coup was announced in Mali, carried out by junior officers against President Amadou Toumani Touré. The coup statement was broadcast by Lieutenant Amadou Konare, spokesperson for what the coup plotters called the "National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State," in a statement via Malian television, saying: "The Committee... has decided to assume its responsibilities and put an end to the incompetent regime of Amadou Toumani Touré," noting that President Touré's second term ends next month, and according to the constitution, he is not entitled to run for a third term...
So, what made these officers rush to remove him through a coup instead of waiting for his constitutional removal next month? Furthermore, is it a local event or is there an international party behind it? And if so, who is that party? May Allah reward you with goodness.
Answer:
Yes, the current President Amadou Toumani Touré was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2007, and his second term was set to end next month, with elections scheduled for the 29th of next month. According to the Malian constitution established in 1992, the president cannot run for a third term. Additionally, the ousted president had not announced any intention to run for a third term to be accused of bypassing the constitution. This means the coup has no justification in terms of "removing an incompetent president" because his term would have ended in a month. There was no need to cause all this chaos!
However, by considering this matter from all angles, it becomes clear that these officers were driven by an international party to carry out the coup in order to prevent the elections for a new president from occurring on their scheduled date next month, and thereby create a new political situation... As for how that is the case and who the international party is, this becomes clear by reviewing the following:
The leader of the coup, Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo, stated in an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE on 23/3/2012, describing the coup operation he and his colleagues carried out as a "necessary step" and that he intends to hand over power to a new government formed after consultations between all existing forces in the country following the removal of President Amadou Toumani Touré. He claimed that he does not wish to remain in power and that he and those with him acted to bring about change in Mali after ten years of regime corruption... and that there were no opportunities for dialogue with the ousted president, which is why the army leadership decided to take up arms. He emphasized that everything was going from bad to worse. The words of the captain, the coup leader, are unconvincing because elections were going to happen next month, so there is no justification for his coup unless he wanted to prevent these elections from occurring so that leaders he does not desire would not come to power. Furthermore, there is no apparent conflict between political forces, and since 1992, the electoral process has been proceeding normally...
The first reactions to this coup came sharply from France, which strongly condemned the coup and called, through its Foreign Minister Alain Juppé, for the necessity of organizing elections in Mali as soon as possible. He announced that his country "suspends all its cooperation with Mali while maintaining its humanitarian aid... and we continue our work in combating terrorism" (AFP 22/3/2012).
France was followed by the European Union; Michael Mann, the spokesperson for the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, announced in a statement: "We condemn the military seizure of power and the suspension of the constitution... order and the constitution must be restored as soon as possible." (AFP 22/3/2012).
On the same day, France and Britain rushed to issue a Security Council resolution strongly condemning the coup and calling for a return to the constitutional order and the elected government... This was followed by the British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Council, who said: "There must be an immediate return to the constitutional order and the democratically elected government in Mali... and the fifteen members of the Security Council strongly condemn the coup in Mali." This indicates that this coup is not in the interest of France and the Europeans with her, who are allied to maintain their influence in Africa; rather, it is directed against their influence.
As for the American reaction and its condemnation of the coup, it came after France and Europe and was "vague"! America announced through its State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland: "The current situation is unclear and evolving rapidly... we believe in the necessity of settling grievances through dialogue and not through violence" (BBC 22/3/2012). Something similar was mentioned by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who issued a statement calling: "for calm and the settlement of differences in a democratic way." The statements of its spokespersons indicate that America is not disturbed by the coup, as does the statement of Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary, who follows American policy. Rather, it indicates implicit support; the spokesperson for the State Department's remark on the necessity of settling grievances through dialogue, and likewise Ban Ki-moon’s words, indicate that America equates the coup plotters with the elected government and gives them a right to rebel and stage a coup due to the existence of grievances, according to her statement.
America had recently begun working to establish influence in Mali by concluding agreements with it to train Malian forces on counter-terrorism and practicing tactics related to fighting rebel groups. It was choosing officers and sending them to America for training. The website Al-Asr reported on 24/3/2012, quoting informed American sources, that an American diplomat, who requested anonymity, stated: "The coup leader, Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo, had been selected from among elite officers by the American embassy to receive military training in counter-terrorism in the United States." He added that "Sanogo traveled several times to America on special missions..."
While France suspended its political, military, and economic cooperation with Mali as well as its aid, the United States did not announce such a suspension, and its aid to Mali reaches 137 million dollars annually. In fact, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland confirmed that "her country has not made a decision to suspend American aid to Mali" (Al-Jazeera 23/3/2012). This shows the extent of France's annoyance with the coup and its dissatisfaction, while it shows America's lack of annoyance; rather, it indicates its implicit satisfaction with the coup.
Everything we have mentioned indicates that America was behind the coup that occurred in Mali to penetrate this Islamic country, extend its influence over it, and replace France, its old colonizer, which still exerts influence there. America wanted to disrupt the upcoming election process in Mali because the political class is loyal to France. Through this coup, she flips the table on the players among France's agents who agree on the game according to French policy. Thus, Mali becomes linked to America by virtue of its hold over the "military" movement, and it becomes difficult for the old political class built by France to overcome the new situation; the most it can be is an ineffective participant in the new rule under American influence.
Mali is an Islamic country whose people embraced Islam hundreds of years ago, and currently, the overwhelming majority of its inhabitants are Muslims, reaching over 90%. In the late nineteenth century, French colonizers occupied it and announced its annexation in 1904. They granted it formal independence in 1960. It is a country rich in mineral wealth such as gold, phosphates, kaolin, bauxite, iron, uranium, and many others. Recently, the international struggle between old colonialism (European, especially French) and new colonialism (American) has intensified over it...
Thus, Islamic lands have become spoils for every greedy power, and that is only because Muslims are divided and judge by other than Islam. Instead of working to restore the Khilafah (Caliphate) state that would unite them after division and honor them after humiliation, you see them ruled by states and mini-states exceeding fifty, whose rulers do not care for the people's affairs but rather fulfill the interests of the colonialist kuffar... By this, Muslims became humiliated after losing the cause of their honor, and nations began to fall upon them as diners fall upon their bowl, whereas they were previously messengers of good to the world, carrying the message of truth through Dawah and Jihad... The Messenger of Allah (saw) spoke the truth when he said:
يُوشِكُ الْأُمَمُ أَنْ تَدَاعَى عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الْأَكَلَةُ إِلَى قَصْعَتِهَا
"The nations are about to flock against you [to consume you] as those who are hungry flock to a bowl [of food]."
A speaker said: "Will we be few in number on that day?" He (saw) said:
بَلْ أَنْتُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ، وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غُثَاءٌ كَغُثَاءِ السَّيْلِ، وَلَيَنْزَعَنَّ اللَّهُ مِنْ صُدُورِ عَدُوِّكُمُ الْمَهَابَةَ مِنْكُمْ، وَلَيَقْذِفَنَّ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمُ الْوَهْنَ
"No, you will be many on that day, but you will be scum like the scum of a flood. Allah will remove the fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and will cast Wahn into your hearts."
A speaker said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is Wahn?" He (saw) said:
حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا، وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ
"Love of the world and hatred of death." (Narrated by Abu Dawood from Thawban).
So, let us cast away from ourselves the love of the world and the hatred of death in the way of Allah, and let us work hard to realize the glad tidings of the Messenger of Allah (saw) for the return of the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly Guided Caliphate) after this oppressive kingship (mulkan jabriyan), as he (saw) said:
ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً، فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ نُبُوَّةٍ
"...then there will be an oppressive kingship, and it will remain as long as Allah wills it to remain. Then He will remove it when He wills to remove it. Then there will be a Khilafah upon the method of Prophethood," then he remained silent. (Narrated by Ahmad).