As many of you are no doubt aware, Mali is in the midst of a coup d'état. Low-ranking soldiers from the nearby military base of Kati, incensed by the poor management of the ongoing fighting in the north of Mali between government forces and Touareg rebels, have seized control of the national radio and television stations, occupied the presidential palace, declared martial law, suspended the constitution, and instituted a nationwide curfew. All government offices are closed, as are the gas stations and most banks. The putschists have stated that they will return power to a democratically-elected president after the rebellion in the north has been put down. They have been condemned by the international community, including the American, French, and Algerian governments, and the Economic Community of West African States, an influential coalition of regional governments.
The (former?) president, Amadou Toumani Touré, is reported to be in a loyalist military camp here in Bamako, purportedly under the protection of the elite "Red Berets" of the Presidential Guard. There has been intermittent gunfire and looting since yesterday evening, as well as the theft of cars by rogue military, police, and gendarmes. Mali's borders, including the Bamako Sénou Airport, have been closed. That said, the situation is relatively calm in the streets for a coup; there's a lot less traffic than normal, and almost no gasoline to be found, so most people seem to be sticking close to home.
This just in: my host father's sister is married to the Malian Minister of Economy and Finance, whose house has apparently just been ransacked. The Minister is in hiding, and my host father, his sister, and her children have taken shelter in a neighboring compound. Rogue soldiers, firing shots in the air, emptied the house of inhabitants before looting everything inside and breaking windows and doors. Also, this morning my host mother was apparently at the house of the General Amidou Sissoko, the second in command after the Malian Chef d'état Majeur, essentially the chief Malian military commander, when it, too, was ransacked. Her cousin, the general's wife, managed to convince the soldiers not to "requisition" her car, as it wasn't government property. The general is also in hiding.
From what I can tell, low-level soldiers (by far the majority of the soldiers behind the coup) are taking advantage of the chaos to make up for their chronic low pay and settle scores with higher-ranking government officials and officers. I've heard of the looting of half a dozen houses of ministers, deputies (i.e. members of the Malian House of Representatives), generals, and the like. So far, this doesn't seem to have spread to the general population.
I'm safe at my host family's house in Bako Djikoroni, some distance from the center of town, the American Embassy, and the military base where ATT is currently hiding. I'm not overly worried about looters; the house is buried in the middle of a neighborhood, and my host family isn't connected to the government or military. So, no worries!
More news as it comes.
Theme song for the week: tie between "Kele Magni De" (Fighting is bad) and the Sunjata epic fragment "Kele ye Mande ci" (War has brought down the Mande).
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