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Mali soldiers behind coup take to airwaves, promise handover
Read full article: Mali soldiers behind coup take to airwaves, promise handoverA man wears a national flag as he celebrates with others in the streets in the capital Bamako, Mali Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Mutinous soldiers detained Mali's president and prime minister Tuesday after surrounding a residence and firing into the air in an apparent coup attempt after several months of demonstrations calling for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's ouster. (AP Photo)BAMAKO The Malian soldiers who forced President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resign in a coup promised early Wednesday to organize new elections after their takeover condemned by the international community. In a statement carried overnight on state broadcaster ORTM, the mutinous soldiers behind Tuesday's military coup identified themselves as the National Committee for the Salvation of the People led by Col. Maj. Ismael Wagu. The U.N. Security Council scheduled a closed meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss the unfolding situation in Mali, where the U.N. has a 15,600-strong peacekeeping mission.