EU executive suspends aid operations in Mali

BRUSSELS: The European Commission announced on Friday the temporary suspension of development operations inMaliafter soldiers staged a coup in the west African nation.

"Following yesterday's coup d'etat inMali, I decided to suspend

temporarily European Commission's development operations in the country until the situation clarifies," said EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

"This decision does not affect humanitarian aid," he added.

Piebalgs called for "a speedy resolution of the crisis, restoration of constitutional order and the holding of democratic elections as soon as possible."

The European Union's executive arm planned to allocate 583 million euros ($772 million) of development aid toMalibetween 2008 and 2013.