Gunfire could be heard ringing throughout the capital and soldiers were seen carting televisions and other goods out of the palace following a coup announcement on state television.
There were conflicting reports on President Amadou Toumani Toure's whereabouts. One senior official said that he was safely esconced at a military camp, protected by his red beret-wearing guards. Another denied the report, saying he was not at that base.
The mutinous soldiers imposed a nationwide curfew, warning people to stay off the streets until further notice. Land borders were closed, and a flight headed to the capital of Bamako was forced to make a U-turn in the air after the airport closed.
The soldiers said they intended to hand over power to an elected government, though it appeared highly unlikely that Malians would head to the polls as scheduled on April 29. More than a dozen candidates were expected to run, though the incumbent was not taking part as he already had served the maximum two terms.
The soldiers said they were overthrowing the government because of its mishandling of an ethnic Tuareg insurgency in the country's north that began in mid-January.
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