Condemning armed forces rebellion, ouster of government in Mali, Secretary-General urges restoration of constitutional order

NEW YORK, March 23, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the rebellion by elements of the Malian armed forces who have announced the dissolution of Government institutions and the suspension of the Constitution. He calls on those responsible to refrain from any actions that could increase violence and further destabilize the country. The Secretary-General calls for the immediate restoration of constitutional rule in Mali. The United Nations is ready to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including the leaders in the sub-region and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) towards this end, so as to preserve the democratic gains made by Mali over the past two decades.