Gunfire has been heard at an army base near the capital of Mali, Bamako, with the Norwegian embassy talking about a possible military effort amid an ongoing political crisis in the Sahel state.
Soldiers fired their guns into the air on Tuesday at the base in Kati, a garrison town about 15 km (nine miles) from Bamako.
Witnesses said armored tanks and military vehicles could be seen on the streets of Kati, the Associated Press news agency reported.
A military spokesman confirmed the shooting had taken place at Kati base, but said he had no further information.
It was not immediately clear who was dealing with the unrest.
Speaking of Bamako, journalist Mohamed Salah Al Jazeera said the situation in Kati was “very confusing”, with reports of soldiers setting up barricades in the city and holding officials.
“The embassy has been notified of a problem in the Armenians and troops are on their way to Bamako. Norwegians should exercise caution and preferably stay at home until the situation is clear,” the Norwegian embassy said in a warning to its citizens.
In a message to its citizens, the French embassy in the Malian capital said: “Due to serious unrest this morning, August 18, in the city of Bamako, it is immediately recommended to stay home.”
Mali has been plunged into deep political turmoil for months as President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita came under heavy pressure from the opposition June 5 Movement to resign.
Ahmed Idris of Al Jazeera, reporting from Abuja in Nigeria, said there were reports that Keita was taken to a safe location.
“The report we are receiving now is that mutineers have advanced over Kati which is a military zone,” he said.
“There are some reports that suggest they are moving towards Bamako itself, and trying to take control of the military command and control center in Bamako. It could be a coup, but it is not yet clear,” he said.
Keita’s opponents have been protesting since June, calling on the president to resign. in the midst of growth ddissatisfaction with Mali’s economic woes, perceived high levels of corruption and the lack of a dire security situation that has made large swathes of the country ungovernable.
At least 14 Protestants were killed during three days of clashes with security forces last month, according to the UN and human rights activists.
Regional forces are concerned that any prolonged unrest of the protests could turn the tide against armed fighters in the region, many of whom are central in Mali.
On March 21, 2012, a mutiny broke out at Kati’s military camp, when soldiers began to quarrel with rank and file and then broke into the camp’s army. After grabbing weapons, they went to the seat of government, led by then-captain Amadou Haya Sanogo.
The unrest contributed to the fall of northern Mali to hunters and Sanogo was later forced to hand over power to a civilian transitional government which then organized an election.
The 2013 vote was won by Keita, who was re-elected five years later.
Regional mediators urged the 75-year-old president to share power in a unity government, but those overtures were quickly rejected by opposition leaders who said they would not stop short of Keita’s departure.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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