Mali: Buhari attends virtual ECOWAS summit

President Muhammadu Buhari is attending the second virtual extraordinary summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) on the sociopolitical situation in Mali.

All the presidents in the ECOWAS are present, alongside the ECOWAS President, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou.

The discussions are expected to centre around finding a lasting solution to the political instability in Mali.

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Those physically present at the Executive Council chamber of the State House where President Buhari is joining the summit from include the Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyema and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada.

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

Daily Times had reported that Mali military junta released President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Thursday, August 27 and allowed him to return to his residence in the capital.

Keita , who was overthrown in an Aug. 18 coup, was in military custody until his release late Wednesday night, said a source who claimed anonymity.

Details shortly…