Iran Press/ Africa: Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Prime Minister Boubou Cisse and several officials were arrested by mutinying soldiers on Tuesday, local media reported.
Keita and Cisse were taken to the Kati military camp, located 15 kilometers (9 miles) northwest of the capital Bamako, at around 4.30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT), according to Journal du Mali.
Earlier, it was reported that gunshots were heard at the military camp, while military trucks were also seen on the road heading toward the capital. The military reportedly blocked the road from the town of Kati to Bamako, and businesses and offices were also closed.
Also, AFP quoted the French presidential office as saying that Macron has spoken with the presidents of Mali's neighboring countries and supported the mediation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to resolve the Mali crisis.
Mali has been in turmoil since Tuareg rebels and loosely-allied militants took over the northern desert regions from the Malian military control in 2012. The ensuing power vacuum allowed extremists linked to al-Qaeda to dominate the territory
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