U.S. suspends Mali aid as post-coup limbo deepens

[MrVan]

The U.S. said on Monday it would suspend some aid to Mali after last week's coup, estimating 60 to 70 million dollars may be affected.

It however stressed that it would maintain food and humanitarian assistance.

Five days after an overnight coup, the country is in limbo with the whereabouts of President Amadou Toumani Toure uncertain, the putsch leaders disowned by neighbours and world powers, and Malians confused over their country's fate.

"We have now taken a decision to suspend our assistance to the government of Mali pending a resolution of the situation," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

"We want to see the elected government restored as quickly as possible.

"We will continue to provide humanitarian and food assistance to those displaced by the conflict in the North and those affected by the region's food crisis but the rest of our government-to-government assistance will be suspended," Nuland told reporters at her daily briefing.

"A little more than half of our 140 million dollars (in aid to Mali) is food assistance, so I am expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 to 70 million dollars in assistance will be suspended but we'll have better numbers for you later on," Nuland added.

Last week's coup ousting of Toure was born out of frustration among mid- and low-ranking soldiers over a lack of equipment to battle Tuareg-led rebels fighting for independence for the vast desert North.

Further action was expected on Tuesday when leaders of the regional ECOWAS bloc meet in Cote d'Ivoire to discuss the crisis. A formal suspension of Mali from the group was among the measures expected.

Life in the capital Bamako has returned to some semblance of normality after mutinous soldiers used heavy weapons to force Toure out of the presidential palace and occupy key institutions such as state television. NAN

Vanguard Nigeria