Question:

A military coup was announced in Mali on 22nd March 2012 by junior ranking officers against President Amadou (Ahmedou) Toumani Toure. The coup announcement on Mali Television by Lieutenant Amadou Konare, the spokesman of what is referred to by the revolutionaries as the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDR), stated that, “the Committee decided to assume its responsibility and put an end to Amadou (Ahmadou) Toumani Toure’s incompetent regime.” It may be noted that President Tomani Toure’s second term in office was to come to an end next month (April 2012) and he is not allowed to stand for a third term in office under the constitution.

So what prompted these officers to oust the president through a coup instead of waiting for his constitutional term to end next month? Is this a local event or is there an international aspect to it? If so, what is it? May Allah reward you.

Answer:

Yes, the current president Amadou (Ahmedou) Toumani Toure was elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2007, and his second term was to end next month (April 2012) when elections were due to take place on 29th April. Under the Mali constitution enacted in 1992, a president cannot seek his re-election for a third term. Also, the ousted president did not express his intention to seek re-election for a third term in office and thus cannot be accused of having violated the constitution. This clearly means that the coup did not have any justification on the pretext of what they referred to as “removal of an incompetent president” because his term was to end after a month and such chaotic actions were uncalled for!

However, observing the issue from all its aspects, it becomes clear that these officers have been encouraged by an international side to carry out the coup in order to prevent elections from taking place for electing a new president which were scheduled for next month, and creating a new political order. In order to understand how this could be achieved and what international side is behind it, one needs to consider the following:

1) Coup leader Captain Ahmadou Haya Sanogo clarified in his interview with Spanish Agencia EFE on 23rd March 2012 and described the coup staged by him and his colleagues as a “necessary step and that he intends to hand over power to a new government which will be formed after consultations between all forces in the country. He expressed his intention and said he is not interested in remaining in power along with his colleagues who carried out the coup to usher in change in Mali after ten years of a corrupted regime, and that there were no opportunities for consultations with the ousted president and hence the military leadership decided to take up arms. He stressed that everything was getting from bad to worse.” Thus the words of the coup leader are not convincing because the elections are to take place in the next month and his coup is not justified unless he intends to prevent elections from taking place and so that no undesirable leadership comes to power. Also there is no apparent clash between the various political forces and election processes have been running normally since 1992.

2) Early reactions to the coup from France have been sharp which have condemned it severely and its foreign minister Alain Juppe emphasised the need for holding elections as soon as possible and declared that his country has “suspended all relations with Mali, however will continue to provide humanitarian assistance…and will continue our work to counter terrorism.” [AFP: 22.03.2012]

France has followed the EU and Michael Mann, the spokesman for Catherine Ashton, the EU Foreign Policy Chief issued a statement saying: “We condemn the military takeover of power and the suspension of the constitution. Constitutional rule should be restored as soon as possible.” [AFP: 22.03.2012].

On the same day, France and Britain moved quickly and secured a resolution from the UN Security Council (UNSC) severely condemning the coup and calling for restoration of constitutional order and elected government. This was followed by British Permanent Representative to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, who occupies the UNSC rotating presidency of the Security Council saying: “The Constitutional regime and a democratically elected government should be restored in Mali… and that the 15 UNSC members severely condemn the coup in Mali.” This indicates that the coup is not in France’s interest as well as others in the EU who have allied with France in order to protect their influence in Africa. On the contrary, the coup is against their influence.

3) As for the American reaction and its opposition to the coup which came after France and the EU response was rather “floating and tentative!” The US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said: “The current situation is unclear and develops fast…We believe that grievances should be addressed through dialogue and not through violence.” [BBC: 22.03.2012]. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon similarly expressed in his statement calling for “calm and that grievances are resolved democratically.” Thus these statements by the spokesmen indicate that the US is unperturbed by the coup and the UN Secretary-General has followed the US policy on the issue. Rather these statements point to America’s tacit support when its State Dept. Spokesperson says that “We believe that grievances should be addressed through dialogue and not through violence,” and Ban Ki-moon’s statement indicate that the US treats them both equally and gives them the right to rebel and stage the coup because of their injustices and grievances according to it.

4) The US has recently begun work to establish its influence in Mali by signing agreements with it to train Malian armed forces to fight terrorism as well as conduct practices for fighting rebel groups. It used to select officers and send them to the US for training. On 24.03.2012, the Times website reported from informed US sources that an American diplomat who asked not to be named told journalists that: “the coup leader Captain Amadou (Ahmadou) Haya Sanogo was selected from among the elite officers by the US embassy to receive anti-terrorist training in the United States.” He added that: “Sanogo travelled several times to the US on special missions.”

5) Whilst France suspended political, military and economic cooperation with Mali as well as aid to it, the US did not announce any such suspension of assistance which is to the tune of $137 million annually. Furthermore, Victoria Nuland, the US State Dept. Spokesperson stated that: “her country has not taken the decision to suspend US aid to Mali.” [Al-Jazeerah 23.03.2012]. This indicates the extent to which France is disturbed by the coup and points to its unhappiness, while it indicates that the US is undisturbed by the events and in fact tacitly supports the coup.

6) All that we have mentioned points to the US being behind the coup that took place in Mali and this is to exercise its influence over the Islamic land and replace France which had earlier colonised it and continues to hold influence over it. America intends to prevent the coming electoral process in Mali because the political establishment is pro-France. Thus through this coup, the tables have been turned against French agents who follow the French policies. This coup has tied Mali to the US since the US controls the “military” movement and makes it difficult for the old political class allied to France to overcome the present situation, and at most they can hope to participate ineffectively in the new set up under US influence.

7) Mali is an Islamic land whose people entered Islam hundreds of years back and whose overwhelming majority is Muslim (about 90% of its population). Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the French colonialists occupied Mali and declared it part of the French controlled lands in 1904. It was granted nominal independence 1960. Mali is rich in mineral wealth like gold, phosphates, bauxite, iron, uranium and several other minerals. Of late it has been caught in the internal rivalries between the old “European coloniser France” and the new colonialist America.

Thus this Islamic land has become the target for all the greedy eyes and this is because the Muslims are disunited and ruled by systems other than Islam. Instead of working to restore the Khilafah which unites all Muslim groups and strengthens them from their present weaknesses, we see the Muslims divided in to countries whose rulers have no concern for people’s affairs and only establish the interests of the kuffar colonialists. This has further weakened the Muslims who have been deprived of the very base that strengthens them, and different nations are inviting each other to exploit them like one invites others for food on the dining table. Earlier the Muslims were the harbingers of all things good for the world who carried the call of Truth through Da’wah and Jihad. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“Soon a time will come upon you, when the nations will call one another against you, like a group of people sitting around a platter of food.” The Sahaabah asked, “Ya Rasoolullaah, will we be few in number that day?” He صلى الله عليه وسلم replied. “No, you won’t be few in number, rather you will number many, but you will be like the floating rubbish, upon floods of water. When such a time comes, Allah, The Almighty, will extract your fear from the hearts of your enemies, and He سبحانه وتعالى, will cast Wahn into your hearts.” The Sahaabah asked, “Ya Rasoolulllaah, what’s Wahn?” He صلى الله عليه وسلم replied, “The Love of the dunya and fear of death.” (Abu Dawood)

So let us abandon the love of the world, and let us give up fear of death in the path of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and work steadfastly to achieve the glad-tidings of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم regarding the return of the Khilafah as he صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“Then there will be an oppressive rule, and things will be as Allah wishes them to be. Then Allah will end it when He wishes. Then there will be a Khilafah according to the method of Prophethood.” (Ahmad)

1st Jumadah Al-Awwal, 1433 AH

24th March, 2012 CE