Mali president, prime minister detained by mutinous soldiers. A regional official says Mali's president and prime minister are now in the custody of mutinous soldiers, sparking fears the country could be plunged into further political turmoil. Mali's president and prime minister have been detained by mutinying soldiers on Tuesday night, according to a regional official.
The two leaders were taken into custody in an apparent mutiny, army officer Sidi Gakou told DPA.
Earlier on Tuesday, soldiers took up arms at the military base in Kati, a town 15 kilometers (nine miles) from Bamako, and began arresting senior military officers.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday said soldiers had launched a "mutiny" and urged them to immediately return to their barracks.
"This mutiny comes at a time when, for several months now, ECOWAS has been taking initiatives and conducting mediation efforts with all the Malian parties," the 15-nation bloc said in a statement.
The national radio station ORTM was evacuated. According to ORTM employees, a column of possible putschists is said to be on its way to the station.
DW correspondent Mahamadou Kane, who is in Bamako, said: "At the present time the situation in Kati and Bamako is still very confusing. Panic reigns in both places. It's also not completely clear, whether it is just a mutiny or a military coup."
View previous comments…Nelson Ebubechukwu
Egereugwu Micheal A
Emmanuel Onum
We have Malians in Nigeria''what are they waiting for.
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