President Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and defence minister Souleymane Doucoure were all taken to a military base in Kati outside the capital Bamako.
The arrests occurred after the announcement of a change in government in which two members of a military junta that seized power in August were replaced.
BREAKING: Malian president and PM taken to military base amid reports of a coup.
— Conflict News (@Conflicts) May 24, 2021
#Mali 🇲🇱 BREAKING: the country's transitional president and prime-minister have been arrested by the military, just hours after the PM presented his new cabinet.
This is the second coup in Mali within a year t.co/z8K4zjC7rW
— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) May 24, 2021
Le Premier ministre de transition malien Moctar Ouane a indiqué avoir été emmené lundi sous la contrainte par des soldats chez le président, après la nomination d'un nouveau gouvernement qui semble avoir mécontenté les colonels auteurs du coup d'Etat de 2020 #AFP pic.twitter.com/cuiZuTlAzu
— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) May 24, 2021
Malian Transitional Prime Minister Moctar Ouane said he was taken forcibly by soldiers to the president’s home on Monday, after the appointment of a new government that appears to have upset the colonels who were responsible for the 2020 coup.
Last October, I wrote for @ecfr about the risks posed by Mali's junta's presence in the transitional government, and the need for the international community to do more to limit their influence: t.co/w5mLpsXVSH And here we are today, with a possible new coup in Mali.
— Andrew Lebovich (@tweetsintheME) May 24, 2021
Event: The U.S. Embassy has received reports of increased military activity in Bamako. U.S. citizens are encouraged to avoid non-essential travel inside the city at this time, and monitor local media for updates.
U.S. citizens are advised to:
Exercise caution if in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests
Do not attempt to drive through protests or roadblocks
Continue to exercise vigilance while in Mali
Review your personal security plans
Keep a low profile
Be aware of your surroundings
Keep a means of communication (cell phone, etc.) with you at all times
Monitor local media for updates
ml.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-embassy-bamako-mali-3/
h/t Anonymer Feigling