Arrested After Army, PM Mali Resigns
Prime Minister (PM) Mali Cheick Modibo Diarra resigned today. This was done a few hours after he was arrested at his home by soldiers acting on the orders of former coup leader Amadou Sanogo.
"I, Cheick Modibo Diarra, back with my administration," he said in a speech broadcast on national media ORTM and AFP news agency reported on Tuesday (12/11/2012). He did not mention the reason for his resignation.
Diarra also thanked his supporters. He hopes that the "new team" will succeed in their task.
Diarra message is broadcast only a few hours after he was arrested by about 20 soldiers who came from Kati, military barracks outside Bamako. "They say the captain Sanogo has sent them to arrest him," said a source.
Diarra is an astrophysicist who has worked for a number of NASA projects. He also served as Director of Microsoft Africa. Before arrested, 60-year-old man was scheduled to depart for France to undergo a medical examination.
He canceled his plans to go to the airport after finding his luggage had been unloaded from the plane that was going to take him to France.
Diarra was appointed as prime minister in the interim government, just weeks after the coup that occurred in March. This coup has led to the previously stable countries, is in crisis. Currently more than half of Mali controlled by hard-line Islamists.
"I, Cheick Modibo Diarra, back with my administration," he said in a speech broadcast on national media ORTM and AFP news agency reported on Tuesday (12/11/2012). He did not mention the reason for his resignation.
Diarra also thanked his supporters. He hopes that the "new team" will succeed in their task.
Diarra message is broadcast only a few hours after he was arrested by about 20 soldiers who came from Kati, military barracks outside Bamako. "They say the captain Sanogo has sent them to arrest him," said a source.
Diarra is an astrophysicist who has worked for a number of NASA projects. He also served as Director of Microsoft Africa. Before arrested, 60-year-old man was scheduled to depart for France to undergo a medical examination.
He canceled his plans to go to the airport after finding his luggage had been unloaded from the plane that was going to take him to France.
Diarra was appointed as prime minister in the interim government, just weeks after the coup that occurred in March. This coup has led to the previously stable countries, is in crisis. Currently more than half of Mali controlled by hard-line Islamists.
