West African envoys meet Mali’s military junta after coup

BAMAKO: West African envoys held talks with Mali’s military junta on Saturday to try to push for a speedy return to civilian rule after a coup in the troubled nation. The delegation, headed by former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, held talks for half an hour with soldiers who seized power on Tuesday, including new strongman colonel Assimi Goita, a journalist said. The envoys from the the regional ECOWAS bloc also hope to meet ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who is being detained by the junta at a military camp outside Bamako. Rebel soldiers...