The United States warned this afternoon that it was opposed to “any extra-constitutional change of government.
Soldiers fired shots in the air on Tuesday, August 18, for an unknown reason, in the large military camp in the garrison town of Kati, from where the 2012 coup d’état started. Mali has been going through a deep political crisis since June. “This morning, angry soldiers took up arms at Kati’s camp and fired into the air. There were many of them and they were very nervous,” said a doctor at Kati hospital, about 15 kilometers from the capital, Bamako.
“It shoots, it shoots in the air at Kati. They’re soldiers from the Soundiata Keita camp,” confirmed a Malian security source on the spot. The reasons for this anger are not clear at the moment.
The United States has said it is opposed to any change of government outside the legal framework in Mali, including by the army,” said U.S. envoy to the Sahel Peter Pham. “The US opposes any extra-constitutional change of government, whether by those on the streets or by the defence and security forces,” he wrote on Twitter.
An “attempted mutiny”
By midday, the situation was calm and there was no more shooting, according to an AFP correspondent in Kati. “The whole area is cordoned off by the military, the green berets,” he said. “We are closely monitoring the situation. The military hierarchy has been in contact with the troops and we will make an official statement later today,” said a source at the defense ministry, who refused to talk about “mutiny”.
“There is an attempt at mutiny,” a diplomatic source in Bamako nevertheless said. The French embassy in Mali recommended caution. It is “strongly recommended to stay at home,” she said on Twitter. She also activated the French embassy’s telephone response unit (44 97 58 20).
Source: Francetvinfo
