The Economic Community of West Africa States’, ECOWAS, Authority of Heads of State and Government, is currently holding an Extraordinary Session, to discuss the military coup in Mali.

The virtual session, which is being attended by President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the ECOWAS counties, was convened following the military overthrow of government by rebel troops in that country on Tuesday.

Ashenewsonline earlier reported that Colonel Goita had declared himself as head of the junta. 

The rebel forces Tuesday afternoon, arrested President Ibrahim Keita of Mali and his Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse to a military base on the outskirts of Bamako.

Keita later announced early Wednesday that he had resigned to avert “bloodshed.”

ECOWAS, the AU, France, the United Nations and other concerned bodies, condemned the coup and announced the closure of air and land borders to the country.

Attending the meeting with Buhari from Abuja are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada.

Others are Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (Rtd); National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd); the Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufa’i; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, among others.