Military uprising in Mali - Prime Minister and President arrested

-Soldiers resigned at gunpoint

-Thousands of people took to the streets

New Delhi 19th August 2020 Wednesday

A military coup erupted in Mali on Tuesday, with troops besieging the Rashtrapati Bhavan and forcing President Ibrahim Bobkar to resign at gunpoint. The prime minister was also arrested. Both the president and the prime minister were taken by soldiers to an unknown location.

As news of the military coup spread, thousands of people took to the streets and staged anti-government demonstrations. At the same time, people were celebrating the overthrow of this government.

The country's defense ministry confirmed the news of the military coup. However, details of how many government officials were detained, including the president and the prime minister, were not immediately available for comment. Details of how many soldiers and officers were involved in the military coup were also not available.

A military spokesman confirmed the shooting at a military base about 15 kilometers from the country's capital but declined to give further details.

Earlier, a military coup took place in 2012 and then-President Amadou Toumai Toure was forced to resign. The second uprising in eight years saw the resignation of President Ibrahim Bobkar at gunpoint. No details were available about the prime minister.