Rescue planned for Wetang’ula in Mali
Habibou Kouyate | AFP Soldiers in a truck drive through a Bamako street on March 22, 2012 following the coup. Kenya is making efforts to evacuate Kenyans, including Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula.
By LUCAS BARASA lbarassa@ke.nationmedia.com AND AFP
Posted Thursday, March 22 2012 at 22:00
The government is making frantic efforts to evacuate Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula and three other government officials stranded in Mali following a coup.
Mr Wetang’ula is with his personal assistant Boniface Munzala and Foreign Affairs officials Anthony Safari from the directorate of Africa Union and Gilbert Ng’eno from Kenya’s mission in Addis Ababa.
Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Thuita Mwangi said Kenya’s ambassador to Addis Ababa Monica Juma who was attending a security meeting with Mr Wetang’ula in Mali was lucky as she left before the unrest.
Addressing journalists in his office when he launched a committee for the implementation of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region genocide prevention, Mr Mwangi assured Kenyans that Mr Wetang’ula and the ministry officials were safe in their hotel.
“The government is in touch with the Kenyan delegation and is keenly observing the unfolding scenario and awaiting for more information on the state of security,” Mr Mwangi said.
Mr Mwangi said his ministry was trying to “establish contact with the interim authority that is reported to have taken charge in a bid to have the Kenyans evacuated”.
However, Mr Wetangu’la said on Thursday the situation was quickly unravelling.
“Situation worsening. Curfew imposed. Airport closed. Heavier gunfire can be heard repeatedly,” he said in a facebook posting
“It is 5.30am in Bamako. Sporadic gunshots can be heard. Both myself and officers B. Munzala, G. Ng’eno and A. Safari from my ministry holed up in hotel. Difficult to tell exact situation. Another Kenyan, manager of KQ Bamako holed up at the airport where he had gone ahead to receive yesterday’s flight and check us in. We are in communication. We have not established if there are any other Kenyans living/working here,” Mr Wetang’ula said.
Mr Mwangi said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was working with national carrier Kenya Airways with a view to evacuating the Kenyans in Mali.
He told Kenyans in Mali to get in touch with the Kenya Airways Area manager Sally Osuke in Bamako Mali on +22177638386.
“There’s confirmation a coup has taken place. A caretaker government has taken over. The President’s whereabouts is unknown. The military junta has taken custody a number of ministers. We have established contact with a number of countries interested in safety of their nationals to work out on all options of safe evacuation,” Mr Mwangi said.
At the ongoing fourth session of the African ministerial conference on housing and urban development in Nairobi yesterday, there were calls for the return to peace in Mali.Dr Sahle Work Zewde, the Director General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi said they were deeply concerned with the developments.
“As our Secretary General (Mr Ban Ki Moon) indicated, we are asking for a return to constitutional order in Mali. We hope that this will be restored as soon as possible,” said Dr Zewde.
Mali’s minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development Mr Yacouba Diallo is attending the meeting which was opened by President Kibaki.Mr Wetang’ula said the fighting broke out on Wednesday as he was about to leave Bamako.
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