Dakar (dpa) – Mutinous troops in Mali claimed to have ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure in a coup on Thursday after overrunning the presidential palace and taking control of broadcasting stations. A spokesman for the troops said they had overthrown the Toure government because of its “inability to deal with the crisis in the north of Mali,” where authorities are fighting Tuareg rebels. About 20 soldiers dressed in military fatigues fronted a broadcast from the ORTM national television headquarters. Lieutenant Amadou Konare said he was the head of the newly formed National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDR). “Dear Malians,” Konare said. “Considering the climate of uncertainty created by those in power, considering the incapacity of the regime to fight against terrorism we decided to take the responsibility of bringing an end to the regime.” “The constitution is suspended until further notice,” he said, adding that a curfew is in place and that the soldiers would consult with neighboring countries and international organizations working in the region in order to decide upon the next steps. According to the Bamako-based news website Maliactu, President Toure has left the presidential palace. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Toure had been due to step down ahead of an election scheduled for the end of April and was not to stand for another term. Radio France International (RFI) reported that the soldiers behind the coup, who are mostly young, fought against special forces loyal to Toure. The station added that several government ministers were arrested. Witnesses told dpa that they heard gunfire throughout the night. “Judging from the way the bullets landed, it seemed as if most of the shots were being fired into the air, rather than directly at people,” one witness told dpa. Speaking on the French radio station Europe 1, France's Foreign Minister Alain Juppe condemned the coup. “We believe in the respect of democratic and constitutional rules,” he said. “We call for constitutional order to be re-established. The elections planned for April should go ahead as quickly as possible.” African Union (AU) chairman Jean Ping said he was “deeply concerned.” In a statement, he said the AU condemns “any attempt to seize power by force, and stresses the need to respect constitutional legitimacy.” Many offices and businesses planned to stay closed on Thursday. As Malians woke up to the news of a coup, some began commenting on local news websites. “It's such a shame for our country. One step forward and two back,” a resident of Bamako wrote on Maliactu. “ATT should let go of power,” another commentator wrote, referring to Toure by his nickname. Among those caught up in the events is Kenya's Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula, who had been due to fly home from Bamako on Wednesday. All flights out of the country have been cancelled. The Kenyan government released a statement Thursday, saying it is trying to establish contact with the interim authorities. “Wetangula and other Government officials accompanying him are all safe in their hotel in Bamako,” it read. On Wednesday soldiers mutinied in Bamako, seizing control of the ORTM building and driving through the streets of the city. A vehicle belonging to the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) was seized by the soldiers, who paraded it through Bamako, holding guns and clinging to the roof rack, representatives of the organization told dpa. The soldiers said the government had given the military inadequate resources to fight the rebels in the north and the growing threat of terrorism by militants linked to al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/EkNXj Tags: Coup, Mali, President, Soldiers Section: Latest News, North Africa, West Africa
