West African leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss the military coup in Mali that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the regional grouping ECOWAS said on Wednesday.
ECOWAS has strongly condemned the change of government in member state Mali.
“The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will hold an extraordinary summit on the socio-political situation in Mali on Thursday,” it said in a statement in the Nigerian capital Abuja, adding that the meeting would be held by videoconference.
ECOWAS had been mediating in the crisis before Tuesday’s coup.
Malian army officer Colonel Assimi Goita on Wednesday announced himself as the coup leader.
The African Union (AU) also on Wednesday suspended Mali a day after the coup.
The AU joined other international bodies and nations, including the US and European Union, to condemn the coup and demand the release of the detained leaders.
