On August 8, 2020, there was a military coup in Mali. On August 27, coup leaders released the deposed president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, from detention. This is the second coup in the country in ten years; it is also the “first coronavirus coup” in Africa. What you need to know: a quick news round-up, brought to you by the UNC African Studies Center, on a rapidly-changing issue. Follow some of the news outlets and blogs cited below for more information:  

• Fatoumata Kane, “Les dieux sont tombés sur la tête,” (in English), Africa is a Country blog: https://africasacountry.com/2020/07/mali-les-dieux-sont-tombes-sur-la-tete 

• Bruce Whitehouse, “Hands of my Junta! Or, Why the international community should show post-IBK Mali some love,” Bridges from Bamako blog: https://bridgesfrombamako.com 

• Alex Thurston, “Could Mali’s Coup Have Been Avoided? Part One – IBK’s Mistakes,” Sahel Blog: https://sahelblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/20/mali-2012-mali-2020-how-could-things-have-gone-differently-part-one-ibk/ 

• Aissatou Diallo, “Mali: Coup Leader Aissim Goïta is from an Elite Fighting Unit,” Africa Report: https://www.theafricareport.com/39260/mali-coup-leader-assimi-goita-is-from-an-elite-fighting-unit/ 

• Gregory Mann, “After the Coup, Mali Needs a Change of Direction, Not Just of Leadership,” Jacobin: https://jacobinmag.com/2020/08/mali-coup-ibk-keita-dicko-bamako 

• Philip Obaji, Jr. “A coup won’t end Mali’s corruption and insecurity,” Foreign Policy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/19/a-coup-wont-end-malis-corruption-and-insecurity/ 

• Daniel Finnan, “Mali junta denies three year transition plan with military government,” RFI: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20200825-mali-junta-denies-three-year-transition-plan-with-military-government-keita-goita-cnsp 

• Adam Taylor, “The First Coup of the Coronavirus Era,” Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/08/20/mali-coup-coronavirus/  

• Massa Coulibaly, Carolyn Logan, and E. Gyimah-Boadi, “Many Malians welcomed last week’s coup, but most still prefer democracy over military rule, The Washington Post : https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/28/many-malians-welcomed-last-weeks-coup-most-still-prefer-democracy-over-military-rule/ 

• Ruth Maclean and Cheick Amadou Diouwara, “Mali’s Ousted President is Released from Detention by Coup Leaders,” New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/27/world/africa/mali-coup-president-released.html?smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR3XOPX7GQBihXx_lCiagqGr0kIVKwD3KZrVXdLrk3jI7NSAI1rLCJKfwTg