Mali’s president and prime minister have been ousted by the officer who led last year’s coup and became vice-president of an interim government.
Col Assimi Goïta says President Bah Ndaw and PM Moctar Ouane failed in their duties and were seeking to sabotage the country’s transition.
They were arrested hours after a government reshuffle which saw two senior army officers replaced.
Col Goïta says elections will still go ahead next year as planned.
Meanwhile, the former junta leader Col Assimi Goïta has declared himself the country’s transitional president.
He made the announcement after stripping interim President Bah Ndaw and PM Moctar Ouane of their powers.
The two ousted leaders were freed from military detention, where they had been held since Monday in what was seen as Mali’s second coup in nine months.
The situation in Mali today is said to be tense but calm.
