Mali President arrested by mutinying soldiers

Shafaq news/ Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was arrested on Tuesday by mutinying soldiers in the capital Bamako, two security sources told Reuters.

The arrest came after soldiers mutinied at the Kati army base outside of Bamako and rounded up a number of senior civilian and military officials.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the ongoing insurgency in Mali.

Macron called Keita and a number of leaders of the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Niger (the countries bordering Mali) by phone, asking for support for Mali which has been witnessing a crisis for months.

The "Associated Press" reported earlier that Malian soldiers had embarked on what appeared to be an attempted rebellion, as they arrested a number of senior army officers.

For several months, anti-government demonstrations have been taking place in Mali, calling for the resignation of President Abubakar Keita.

In the capital, Bamako, government employees fled their offices as gunmen began arresting officials, including the country's finance minister, Abdullah Dafi.

The French embassy in Bamako tweeted that the residents of Kati and Bamako must stay at home amid the recent developments.

It’s noteworthy that On March 21, 2012, a mutiny began at the Kati military camp as soldiers began rioting and then broke into the camp's armoury. After taking weapons, they headed for the seat of government, led by Amadou Haya Sanogo, who held the rank of captain at the time.