Mali registers several and mobilizations and disturbances during the last weeks, a part of the population asks the government of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, president since 2013, to leave office.
This Tuesday, an unidentified group of soldiers staged a riot at the Kati military base, 15 kilometers from the capital Bamako. This group of soldiers has kidnapped the President of the National Assembly of Mali, Moussa Timbiné, and the Minister of Economy and Finance, Abdoulaye Daffé.
Several citizen reports indicate that several shots were heard at the Kati military base. There is still no official report stating how many soldiers started the coup and who shot whom.
In the capital Bamako there is great confusion, banks, shops and government offices were forced to close their doors. The media were also forced to evacuate their jobs, due to alleged threats from the coup plotters.
Opponents of the current president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, since June, have led several demonstrations in opposition to his government and are calling for his resignation. The opposition accuses the current president of being incapacitated and corrupt.
The embassies of Norway and France issued alerts and asked citizens residing in Mali to stay home, «until the situation clears up.» Mali registers several weeks of mobilizations and riots calling for the resignation of the current government, in power since 2013.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened in the country’s situation. However, the recommendations issued by the organization did not include the resignation of the current president, so the situation did not improve and the instability remained.
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