Witnesses report gunfire at a military camp outside Mali’s capital in what a local embassy described as a possible mutiny against President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.A reporter for VOA’s French to Africa service says gunshots were heard Tuesday the military camp in Kati, about 15 kilometers northwest of Bamako. A group of soldiers were later seen headed toward the capital.A mutiny at the same camp triggered a coup that overthrew Malian president Amadou Toumani Toure in 2012.VOA’s Bambara service, citing a local news station and other sources in Kati, reports that the president of Mali’s national assembly and the head of the national guard have been arrested.The Norwegian embassy in Mali warned that a mutiny in the armed forces was under way, and said troops were on their way to Bamako.The French and Australian embassies warned their nationals to stay at home, citing reports of disturbances in Kati and Bamako.There are reports of gunfire and civil disturbance in parts of Bamako. We advise Australian citizens in Mali to seek shelter, remain indoors and monitor local media. Australians requiring urgent consular assistance can call +61 2 6261 3305 @Smartraveller@dfat
— Gregory Andrews (@AusAmbGHA) August 18, 2020Opposition supporters have held several large protests in recent months calling for President Keita’s resignation. Clashes between security forces and protesters in July killed at least 11 people.The president has come under increasing criticism for failure to stop an eight-year Islamist insurgency in the north. Tensions escalated in April after the Constitutional Court overturned results from a disputed parliamentary election, allowing Keita’s party to take a majority of the vacant seats.
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