Sporadic bursts of gunfire and explosions were heard early Friday in Mali's capital Bamako, a day after mutinous soldiers staged a coup in the landlocked West African country, dpa quoted witnesses as saying. A curfew was imposed overnight, after the soldiers from the newly formed National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDR) announced they had overthrown the government. The group said it had taken power because of the government's "inability to deal with the crisis in the north of Mali," where authorities are fighting Tuareg rebels. Local media reported Friday that President Amadou Toumani Toure was still inside a military camp guarded by loyal troops. He had been due to step down from power before a presidential vote scheduled for April 29. Ten government officials, including Foreign Affairs minister Soumeylou B Maiga, Bamako mayor Adama Sangare and General Kafoukouna Kone - one of the Toure administration's most powerful players - were being held by the CNRDR at military camps and police stations, the reports said. At least three civilians were killed Thursday by stray bullets fired by soldiers in the centre of Bamako, the rights group Amnesty International said. A further 28 people have been injured in the unrest. Flights to and from the country were cancelled early Friday, and normally bustling land borders remained sealed. The US and French embassies have advised foreign nationals to stay indoors. There were reports of looting in the early hours of Friday, notably at the homes of arrested government ministers. The CNRDR, which is led by Captain Amadou Sanogo and is largely made up of young soldiers below his rank, has promised to usher in new elections. According to broadcaster Radio France International (RFI) the soldiers have approached high-ranking officers with a view to recruiting them to their cause. But so far, they have refused, reports said. On Friday, analysts said it is possible that the CNRDR could lose momentum. "Given Sanogo's relative anonymity until this point and the timing of the move, it is unclear whether promises of quick elections are sincere," said Mali expert Robert Borthwick. "In the immediate aftermath of the military mutiny in Bamako, it is not clear whether Toure will seek to retain executive power."
