Mali president, prime minister detained by mutinous soldiers

Mali’s president and prime minister were seized by mutinous soldiers, plunging the country into deeper political turmoil. The EU has condemned the “attempted coup.”

Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse were detained by mutinying soldiers on Tuesday night, worsening a national crisis in a country already grappling with a jihadist insurgency and mass protests. 

Other top government officials were also taken into custody. 

What happened?

Earlier on Tuesday, soldiers took up arms at the military base in Kati, a town 15 kilometers (nine miles) from the capital Bamako, and began arresting senior military officers and civil servants.

Rebel troops surrounded Keita’s private residence that evening and fired shots into the air before taking the leader into custody. Cisse, who had earlier urged the soldiers to lay down their arms after the uprising kicked off, was also seized. One of the prime minister’s staff said the pair were being held at the army base in Kati.

Soldiers were then spotted moving freely through Bamako — a sign that they were making gains in the capital. 

DW learned earlier on Tuesday that several high-ranking politicians and officials were arrested, including the Minister of Finance Abdoulaye Daffe and the chief of staff of the National Guard. State broadcaster ORTM was evacuated and later went offline, reported Reuters.

Source: dw