Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has announced his immediate resignation after he and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse was arrested by military troops.
According to Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, he had little choice but to resign in order to avoid any bloodshed. He also said the country's national assembly and government would now be dissolved.
In a suspected coup d'etat earlier on Tuesday, soldiers arrested President Keita and Prime Minister Cisse.
In a tweet, African Union chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat condemned the arrests, saying: "I strongly condemn the arrest of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the Prime Minister and other members of the Malian Government and call for their immediate release."
Mahamat also called on "the mutineers to cease all use of violence," and asked the international community to oppose any use of force. UN diplomat sources said the United Nations Security Council will be holding an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Mali.
The sources also mentioned that the emergency meeting was by France and Niger.
Prior to his arrest, Cisse posted on Facebook a plea to the military to lay down its arms and engage in dialogue. He wrote: "The government calls for reason and a patriotic sense and asks for the use of arms to be stopped. There are no problems that cannot be solved in dialogue."
Protests at the capital
On Tuesday, people took to the streets in the country's capital Bamako, particularly at the city's independence monument. Videos of the protests showed people on motorbikes rejoicing at the news of the suspected coup while supporters of the opposition group celebrated with Malian flags and vuvuzelas.
Over a thousand people gathered outside President Keita's house but were prevented by soldiers from entering but they were able to enter and loot the empty house of the president's son, Karim, who resigned in July as head of parliament's defense committee amidst the violence and calls for his father's resignation.
Demonstrators also looted and set on fire a building owned by Mali's Minister of Justice.
What sparked the violence?
Since May, President Keita has been facing tremendous public scrutiny following the decision of the country's top constitutional court to overturn results from disputed parliamentary elections, which allowed Keita's party to occupy a majority of the vacant seats.
In March, electoral protests were also source of post-electoral violence in several districts in the capital and other towns.
The European Union expressed condemnation over the apparent "coup attempt" in Mali.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said: "The European Union condemns the coup attempt underway in Mali and rejects any unconstitutional change. This can in no way be an answer to the deep socio-political crisis that has hit Mali for several months."
Both the US and French embassies in Mali have issued a safety warning to citizens about the ongoing violence on the streets.
The US embassy issued a statement, saying: "The US Embassy is aware of gunfire and unrest in the area of Kati, as well as ongoing police/military operations in Bamako."
"There have been multiple reports of gunfire throughout the city as well as reports of soldiers driving in trucks and firing their weapons in the air. There are continued reports of demonstrators gathered at the Monument de L'Independance. The US recommends all US citizens avoid these areas, if possible," the US embassy added.
