· According to media reports, Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and Prime Minister Prime Minister Boubou Cisse has been arrested
· The Prime Minister Cisse had earlier called for dialogue with mutineers to resolve the crisis
According to media reports, Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and Prime Minister Prime Minister Boubou Cisse have been arrested. Earlier it was also reported that the president of the national assembly, Moussa Timbiné, and Finance Minister Abdoulaye Daffe were kidnapped.
Prime Minister Cisse had earlier called for dialogue with mutineers to resolve the crisis. French media has reported that senior military officials were arrested and that a colonel of the National Guard led the mutineers. There are also speculations that the coup leader could be col. Sadio Camara.
Initial news of gunfire at an army base outside Bamako, as well as the Embassy of Norway in the capital city citinga possible military was reported on August 18 was reported by the Norway Embassy alert to its citizens. The Reuters report quotes the embassy’s alert to Norwegian citizens.
The mass protests in Mali began since July calling for the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita over what demonstrators say are his failures to restore security and address corruption. Human Rights Watch reports a death toll of at least.
