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Mali government confirms detention of president, premier by mutinous troops

The two leaders "were taken by soldiers on armored personnel carriers to the Kati base" a few kilometers away from the capital Bamako

PRETORIA, August 18. /TASS/. Mali government’s official spokesman officially confirmed on Tuesday that President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse were arrested by mutinous troops earlier in the day.

The two leaders "were taken by soldiers on armored personnel carriers to the Kati base" a few kilometers away from the capital Bamako, AFP quoted spokesman Boubou Doucoure as saying.

A mutiny broke out at an army base in Kati, outside capital city Bamako, on Tuesday morning. The rebels arrested a number of ministers, including foreign and finance ministers, and the parliament speaker. According to the Malijet news website, the rebels are led by Colonel Sadio Camara, a former director of a military school at the Kati military base. Wakat Sera reported that the Malian General Staff is also controlled by the rebels, with a number of senior officers being arrested.

Terrorist groups stepped up their activities in Mali in recent years, including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). Both are affiliated with the Islamic State terrorist organization, outlawed in Russia. Besides, groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda (also outlawed in Russia) - are active along the country’s border with Burkina Faso.