There are fears of a second military takeover of power in Mali after soldiers on Monday detained the president and prime minister of the interim government.
President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were detained hours after a government reshuffle left out two soldiers who led a coup last year.
Malian troops launched a coup in August last year that removed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Coup leader Assimi Goita was appointed as vice president and the caretaker administration was tasked with overseeing an 18-month transition back to civilian rule.
Two others who were instrumental in the coup – Sadio Camara and Colonel Modibo Kone – were given the defence and security portfolios, respectively.
In a joint statement on Monday, the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of Mali’s civilian leadership and said, “the international community rejects in advance any act of coercion, including forced resignations”.
The United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS also signed the statement.
The joint statement called Ndaw and Ouane’s detentions “reckless” and called for Mali’s political transition “to resume its course and conclude within the established timeframe”.
A delegation from ECOWAS would visit the capital, Bamako, on Tuesday, according to the statement.
In a Twitter post, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern and urged calm, while European Union leaders condemned what they called the “kidnapping” of Mali’s civilian leadership.
Diplomatic and government sources told Reuters and AFP news agencies that Ndaw, Ouane as well as Defence Minister Souleymane Doucore were being held at a military base in Kati, outside Bamako.