Posted on 03/22/2012 1:07:19 PM PDT by JerseyanExile
Rebel troops have appeared on Malian state TV to announce they have seized control of the country, hours after attacking the presidential palace.
The soldiers said a nationwide curfew was in force and that the constitution had been suspended.
The troops, who staged a mutiny on Wednesday, say the government is not giving them enough arms to tackle a rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs.
West African regional body Ecowas has condemned the actions of the troops.
In a statement, it said it had followed the situation with "dismay and mounting concern", describing the behaviour of the mutinous soldiers as "reprehensible" and "misguided".
A source told the BBC that the foreign minister and a number of other ministers have been arrested.
On Wednesday the mutineers had taken over the state radio and TV broadcaster in Bamako and took it off air.
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".
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
If I remember correctly the Dakar road race had to detour around one section of Africa a few years back because of this.
Obama will shortly be offering an apology on behalf of the USA for anything we might have done, in the past 400 years, to cause this.
The NYT headline would read - US Military to Get Uparmored Chevy Volts.
Here’s to hoping whatever they are doing helps dispatch large numbers of koranimals.
They come home with all sorts of ideas!
-PJ
Tombouctou, not "Timbouctou, just for the record. :-)
More or less accepted as, "Timbuktu".
From Merriam-Webster, online:
Tom·bouc·tou geographical name \tōⁿ-bük-ˈtü\
Definition of TOMBOUCTOU
town W Africa in Mali near Niger River pop 31,925
Please don't try to send me to Tombouctou. :-)
Your post is meaningless without pictures;)
What Islamic insurgency? Mali is 90% Muslim, 9% "indigenous beliefs", and 1% Christian, per the CIA factbook.
You may be confusing Mali with Nigeria.
In any event, I'd rather see them run by the military than by a council of mullahs.
Empress Malia and Vice Empress Sasha
Could probably do a much better job that this admin.
Sahara
The revolts in the north have been by Tuareg separatists.
This has something to do with Volkwagen?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.