Soldiers in uniform appeared on national television that night they had occupied since Wednesday and announced that it put "an end to the incompetent" in place in Bamako.
France hopes the elections "as soon as possible" in Mali, where a coup has just taken place, said Thursday the foreign minister, Alain Juppe.
"We are committed to respect for democratic rules and constitutional. We demand the restoration of constitutional order, elections, they were scheduled for April, they must take place as soon as possible, "he said on Europe 1.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for its part, "strongly condemned" Thursday the military coup against the regime in Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure.
The regional organization of 15 States "strongly condemns the actions of misguided mutineers." It "reminds members what is their responsibility under the Constitution, and reiterates the ECOWAS policy of" zero tolerance "towards any attempt to seize or maintain power through unconstitutional means," a statement said.
Malian military took power in Bamako Thursday after several hours of fighting, dissolves institutions and declared a curfew, according to them, end the lack of resources in the fight against the Tuareg rebellion and Islamist groups in the north.
Thursday at 4:00 uniformed military appeared on national television they had occupied since Wednesday and announced that it put "an end to the incompetent" in place in Bamako, have dissolved "all institutions" suspended "the constitution" and declared a curfew.
The spokesman of the soldiers, Lieutenant Amadou Konare, said they had acted to address "the failure" of the regime of President Amadou Toumani Toure "to manage the crisis north of our country", prey a Tuareg rebellion and the activities of armed Islamist groups since mid-January.
Lieutenant Konare, surrounded by a dozen others, spoke on behalf of the National Committee for the recovery of democracy and the restoration of the rule.
Soon after, Captain Amadou Sanogo, junta leader, took the floor to announce that a curfew had been decreed from Thursday.
"Restoring the power"
Lieutenant Konare also justified the coup by the "lack of adequate equipment for homeland defense" available to the army to fight against the rebels and armed groups in the north, and "the failure of power to fight against terrorism. "
The junta has "made a solemn commitment to restore the power" civil and implement a national unity government.
The coup leaders were initially appeared on television, but the lieutenant Konare's speech could not be heard because, apparently, a technical problem. He had to try several times before being heard clearly.
"We control the presidential palace," had earlier announced a mutinous soldier, another stating that several members of the regime of President Toure, whose foreign minister, Soumeylou Boubèye Maiga, and that of Territorial Administration, Kafougouna Konewere arrested.
An independent source has said that President Toure "and his men are no longer in the palace", without specifying where they were.
Exchanges of gunfire between the presidential guard and the mutineers were heard for several hours in the night between Wednesday and Thursday.
Presidential canceled
The day on Wednesday began with a mutiny in a camp in Kati, garrison town near Bamako, and then had spread to the capital itself, whose soldiers took to the streets shooting into the air, creating panic. "We are tired of the situation in the north," said one of them.
The U.S. State Department urged the Mali resolve tensions "through dialogue and not violence." Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "called for calm and that grievances are resolved peacefully."
In early February, relatives of soldiers and women were demonstrating in several cities including Bamako, to denounce the silence on the situation of these soldiers and the "soft power" against the rebellion.
Some of these demonstrations had turned violent and property belonging to Tuareg and other Malians and foreigners with fair skin had been ransacked.
President Toure had managed to calm down when these women by promising them they could hear from their husbands at the front.
Mali is facing since mid-January to attacks from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and other Tuareg rebels, whose heavily armed men who had fought for the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, who took several cities in the north.
A Tuareg armed Islamist movement, Ansar Dine (Defender of Islam) who wants to impose Sharia law in Mali, said control three towns in the north-east, near the Algerian border: Tinzawaten, Tessalit Aguelhok.
The Malian government has also accused Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has bases in northern Mali where it operates in several Sahelian countries, to fight with the MNLA. AQIM was particularly accused of summarily executed nearly a hundred soldiers Malian Agulhok.
The coup put an end to the electoral process, including a presidential whose first round was scheduled for April 29.
France hopes the elections "as soon as possible" in Mali, where a coup has just taken place, said Thursday the foreign minister, Alain Juppe.
"We are committed to respect for democratic rules and constitutional. We demand the restoration of constitutional order, elections, they were scheduled for April, they must take place as soon as possible, "he said on Europe 1.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for its part, "strongly condemned" Thursday the military coup against the regime in Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure.
The regional organization of 15 States "strongly condemns the actions of misguided mutineers." It "reminds members what is their responsibility under the Constitution, and reiterates the ECOWAS policy of" zero tolerance "towards any attempt to seize or maintain power through unconstitutional means," a statement said.
Malian military took power in Bamako Thursday after several hours of fighting, dissolves institutions and declared a curfew, according to them, end the lack of resources in the fight against the Tuareg rebellion and Islamist groups in the north.
Thursday at 4:00 uniformed military appeared on national television they had occupied since Wednesday and announced that it put "an end to the incompetent" in place in Bamako, have dissolved "all institutions" suspended "the constitution" and declared a curfew.
The spokesman of the soldiers, Lieutenant Amadou Konare, said they had acted to address "the failure" of the regime of President Amadou Toumani Toure "to manage the crisis north of our country", prey a Tuareg rebellion and the activities of armed Islamist groups since mid-January.
Lieutenant Konare, surrounded by a dozen others, spoke on behalf of the National Committee for the recovery of democracy and the restoration of the rule.
Soon after, Captain Amadou Sanogo, junta leader, took the floor to announce that a curfew had been decreed from Thursday.
"Restoring the power"
Lieutenant Konare also justified the coup by the "lack of adequate equipment for homeland defense" available to the army to fight against the rebels and armed groups in the north, and "the failure of power to fight against terrorism. "
The junta has "made a solemn commitment to restore the power" civil and implement a national unity government.
The coup leaders were initially appeared on television, but the lieutenant Konare's speech could not be heard because, apparently, a technical problem. He had to try several times before being heard clearly.
"We control the presidential palace," had earlier announced a mutinous soldier, another stating that several members of the regime of President Toure, whose foreign minister, Soumeylou Boubèye Maiga, and that of Territorial Administration, Kafougouna Konewere arrested.
An independent source has said that President Toure "and his men are no longer in the palace", without specifying where they were.
Exchanges of gunfire between the presidential guard and the mutineers were heard for several hours in the night between Wednesday and Thursday.
Presidential canceled
The day on Wednesday began with a mutiny in a camp in Kati, garrison town near Bamako, and then had spread to the capital itself, whose soldiers took to the streets shooting into the air, creating panic. "We are tired of the situation in the north," said one of them.
The U.S. State Department urged the Mali resolve tensions "through dialogue and not violence." Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "called for calm and that grievances are resolved peacefully."
In early February, relatives of soldiers and women were demonstrating in several cities including Bamako, to denounce the silence on the situation of these soldiers and the "soft power" against the rebellion.
Some of these demonstrations had turned violent and property belonging to Tuareg and other Malians and foreigners with fair skin had been ransacked.
President Toure had managed to calm down when these women by promising them they could hear from their husbands at the front.
Mali is facing since mid-January to attacks from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and other Tuareg rebels, whose heavily armed men who had fought for the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, who took several cities in the north.
A Tuareg armed Islamist movement, Ansar Dine (Defender of Islam) who wants to impose Sharia law in Mali, said control three towns in the north-east, near the Algerian border: Tinzawaten, Tessalit Aguelhok.
The Malian government has also accused Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has bases in northern Mali where it operates in several Sahelian countries, to fight with the MNLA. AQIM was particularly accused of summarily executed nearly a hundred soldiers Malian Agulhok.
The coup put an end to the electoral process, including a presidential whose first round was scheduled for April 29.
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