Parliament head back to Mali, signals return to civilian rule

PanARMENIAN.Net - Mali's parliamentary head, who was forced into exile after last month's coup, has returned to the crisis nation - marking the first step in Mali's path back to constitutional rule, Belfast Telegraph reported.

The 70-year-old Dioncounda Traore was by chance in neighbouring Burkina Faso on March 21 when disgruntled soldiers stormed the presidential palace in Mali's capital, ousting the nation's democratically elected leader and overturning two decades of democracy.

While other ministers and associates of the toppled leader were immediately arrested, Mr Traore remained free, though unable to return for fear of being detained.

Under intense pressure from the nations neighbouring Mali, the junior officer who seized power 17 days ago agreed to return the nation to civilian rule, signing an accord late on Friday in the presence of ministers from Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast.

The accord is a milestone for Africa, and especially for the troubled western corner of the continent, where coups or attempted coups are still a regular occurrence.

The accord signed by coup leader Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo calls for the immediate application of Article 36 of the Malian constitution, which says that in the event that the president of the republic is unable to carry out his functions, the head of the assembly becomes interim president for a transitional period until new elections are held.

If the transfer to civilian rule is successful, it will mark one of the only times when sanctions and international pressure succeeded in peacefully overturning a military power grab in the region.