Samuel Adelaja
A report reaching us has it that the President of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and his prime minister Boubou Cisse have been arrested by soldiers believed to be in revolt in the country’s capital Bamako.
The arrest came after soldiers demonstrated at the Kati army base outside of Bamako and rounded up a number of senior civilian and military officials.
The arrest is arrest in lieu of political unrest and soldiers rebelling at the Kati base outside of Bamako.
A leader of the rebel troops, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development and stated that the president and the PM are both in their custody and are being driven in their armored vehicle to an army base in the town of Kati.
The news of the arrest of the President has been greeted with strong criticisms by world leaders who condemned in totality the action of the rebel troops. The African Union has since demanded that the military hands off the governance of the country immediately.
However, there have been reports of wide jubilations by a crowd of Mali civilians at the city center who have demanded for the immediate resignation of the president Boubacar Keita. The citizens, while cheering the rebelling troops amidst the conveyance of the president and his Prime minister in the armored vehicle, also praised the action of the rebels.