[quote][B]Rebel troops have appeared on Malian state TV to announce they have seized control of the country, hours after attacking the presidential palace.[/B]The rebels said that a nationwide curfew was in force and that the constitution had been suspended.
The renegade troops had staged a mutiny on Wednesday, trading gunfire with soldiers loyal to the government.
The mutineers say the government is not giving them enough arms to tackle a rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs.
On Wednesday the mutineers had taken over the state radio and TV broadcaster in Bamako and took it off air.
[IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/59230000/jpg/_59230553_014322204-1.jpg[/IMG]Unrest in the capital Bamako reportedly continued overnight
After several hours of footage of traditional Malian music and dancing, a group of soldiers appeared on screen early on Thursday morning, with a caption identifying them as the "Committee for the Re-establishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State".
A spokesperson for the rebels, identified on screen as Lt Amadou Konare, said they had ended the "incompetent regime" of President Amadou Toumani Toure.
Lt Konare condemned the "inability" of President Toure's government to "fight terrorism", and said the soldiers would look to hand over to a democratically elected government.
There has not yet been any reaction from President Toure to the announcement.
[B]Tuareg unrest[/B]The unrest began on Wednesday as the country's defence minister started a tour of military barracks north of the capital.
Soldiers fired in the air during the inspection, prompting an immediate strengthening of security around the presidential palace.
Troops are upset with the government's handling of a Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country, and are also reportedly opposed to any potential talks with the rebels.
[IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/59231000/gif/_59231643_mali_bamako_304.gif[/IMG]
There was heavy gunfire in Bamako throughout Wednesday, and armoured vehicles had moved in to protect the presidential palace. Gunshots reportedly continued to ring out overnight.
A member of the presidential guard described the fighting to AFP news agency.
"We are in control of the presidential palace. People are shooting towards us and we are returning fire," he said.
The BBC's West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy says it is unclear whether President Amadou Toumani Toure was inside the palace at the time.
In the northern town of Gao, young recruits were said to have begun rioting at a military base, according to the Associated Press.
Both the US and France have urged the soldiers and government to resolve their dispute through peaceful means.
The Tuaregs have forced the army out of several northern towns in recent months.
Earlier this week Ecowas, the West African regional organisation, urged its member states to support Mali with military equipment and logistics.
A presidential election was due to take place in the country in just under a month.
The government had so far refused to postpone the poll, despite the unrest involving Tuareg-led rebels.[/quote]
[URL=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17462111] BBC UK [/url]
this is the first i've heard of the conflict
does anybody have a quick rundown of it? abusive violent government? huge power-grabbing crime gang?
It may be related to [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Movement_for_the_Liberation_of_Azawad]this[/url] but I'm not entirely sure.
[QUOTE=Bletotum;35242677]this is the first i've heard of the conflict
does anybody have a quick rundown of it? abusive violent government? huge power-grabbing crime gang?[/QUOTE]
this is the first time i've heard of the country
The bi-annual African coup already?
I wonder if one day someone takes over and makes things better?
Nah, that's pretty unheard of.
[QUOTE=Bletotum;35242677]this is the first i've heard of the conflict
does anybody have a quick rundown of it? abusive violent government? huge power-grabbing crime gang?[/QUOTE]
Based on my quick, 10 minutes of research. It's looking more like that latter. The president they're overthrowing overthrew a military regime back in 1991, had a constitution drafted, and relinquished power after the first elections.
[QUOTE=Kinversulath;35243140]Based on my quick, 10 minutes of research. It's looking more like that latter. The president they're overthrowing overthrew a military regime back in 1991, had a constitution drafted, and relinquished power after the first elections.[/QUOTE]
so its a "democratic" government?
[QUOTE=Kinversulath;35243140]Based on my quick, 10 minutes of research. It's looking more like that latter. The president they're overthrowing overthrew a military regime back in 1991, had a constitution drafted, and relinquished power after the first elections.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]After several hours of footage of traditional Malian music and dancing, a group of soldiers appeared on screen early on Thursday morning, with a caption identifying them as the "Committee for the Re-establishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State".[/QUOTE]
It seems the rebels disagree. I have wonder if everybody who's called their group a "Comitee for the Re-Establishment of Democracy" is a liar at his rate.
[QUOTE=nikola631;35243215]so its a "democratic" government?[/QUOTE]
Their past elections have been declared fair by outside observers. It's more democratic than most nations in Africa.
[QUOTE=Cone;35243249]It seems the rebels disagree. I have wonder if everybody who's called their group a "Comitee for the Re-Establishment of Democracy" is a liar at his rate.[/QUOTE]
If you have to title yourself as democratic, you pretty much automatically look shady as hell.
So they rebelled against their government so that they could more effectively fight another group that had already rebelled?
[QUOTE=IKTM;35245788]So they rebelled against their government so that they could more effectively fight another group that had already rebelled?[/QUOTE]
Such is life in Africa.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;35248151]Such is life in Africa.[/QUOTE]
Today's forecast: Sunny with a 60 percent chance of rebellion.
Tomorrow's forecast: Sunny with a 80 percent chance of government takeover.
[QUOTE=Bletotum;35242677]this is the first i've heard of the conflict
does anybody have a quick rundown of it? abusive violent government? huge power-grabbing crime gang?[/QUOTE]
Mali is a landlocked nation, much of its northern parts basically is the Sahara. The most essential part of its economy are its mines, including some with gold, though like other west African countries there are problems with infrastructure and inability for the whole populace to benefit from it. Typically from the way contracts are arranged between the government and foreign firms to explore and exploit.
Mali is multi-ethnic, like many other states. Among its many groups are the Tuaregs, a nomadic Berber group who have large numbers in that country and neighboring Niger. Tuareg are marginalized in the nations they are in, and it's not uncommon for them to rise up in arms against a government. Colonial governments had the same problem with Tuaregs in West Africa.
At the beginning of this year Tuaregs began to rise up again, and it is believed to have been in part due to the return of Tuareg fighters from Libya with lots of weapons and more importantly experience. In the months since then there has been fighting between the government and Tuareg in the north, with the Tuareg securing some victories and capturing towns in the north. Military feels the government was becoming incompetent and weak, and they got particularly riled by the government trying to open dialog with the Tuareg rebels. So the military began to say the government is not supporting them with supplies and equipment and endangering the nation. In the last week there has been protests in the capital encouraged by the military (through families of the soldiers and sympathizers), and reports of mutinies in some outposts in the north with recruits refusing to fight.
So the military made its move and ejected the government citing their incompetency at handling the Tuareg rebellion, and seized control. The current president was not captured though, and is believed to have been taken by loyalists to an army barracks. So far it's taking the typical form, with the military forming a council with some reference to 'restoring' democracy or something and act as an interim measure until the 'crisis' is resolved.
Mali has been, more or less, operating under a 'democratic' framework since 1991, and has had reasonably clean elections, a feat considering the region. There was to be another presidential election this year, according to wiki late April.
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