Widespread International Condemnation of Mali Coup.

The UN Security Council called for the "immediate restoration of constitutional rule and the democratically elected government". The World Bank and African Development Bank said they were suspending all aid until the crisis is resolved, as has the EU in Brussels and France.A government official told the BBC that President Amadou Toumani Toure was not in the custody of mutineers. Soldiers were seen looting the presidential palace.

The West African regional body Ecowas said the mutinous soldiers' behaviour was "reprehensible". The African Union described the coup as a "significant setback for Mali".  Nigeria and South Africa have condemned the coup.Britain and the US have called for the restoration of the democratically elected government.“We believe that grievances should be addressed through dialogue, not through violence,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.The African Union has suspended Mali from the organisation.

The Mauritanian government is deeply concerned by recent events in Mali and strongly condemns the seizure of power by force in this country, said the Mauritan foreign ministry calling for the restoration of constitutional order.  "Deeply concerned about recent events in Mali, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania condemns the seizure of power by force which can only aggravate the situation facing the brotherly people of Mali " said a ministry statement Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to APS.

The UN Security Council called for the "immediate restoration of constitutional rule and the democratically elected government". The World Bank and African Development Bank said they were suspending all aid until the crisis is resolved, as has the EU in Brussels and France.A government official told the BBC that President Amadou Toumani Toure was not in the custody of mutineers. Soldiers were seen looting the presidential palace.
The West African regional body Ecowas said the mutinous soldiers' behaviour was "reprehensible". The African Union described the coup as a "significant setback for Mali". Britain has called for the restoration of the democratically elected government.

Mali has had democratic rule for the last 20 years, during which it has come to be considered as a model which other emerging democracies can look to. The soldiers in a broadcast on Wednesday promised to return Mali to democratic rule as soon as possible. As they appear to be commanded by junior officers and to be lightly armed commentators have speculated that they may not have the support to hold on to power. The President Amadou Toumani Toure was reported to be being protected by an elite red beret unit.

Commentators have speculated that the lightly armed troops who appear to be commanded by junior commanders
may not have the broad based support to enable them to hold on to power, although a number of African leaders have come to power leading coups as junior officers in the past.

Mali is one of the "countries in the field" with troops fighting AQIM and terrorism in the Sahel under the Algerian command headquarters at Tamenrasset. The Tuareg rebellion in the North has taken significant gains in the Northern region of Azawad .The coup certainly complicates the situation, some commentators have voiced surprise that this concentration of regional military forces aided by  western powers, especially France did not see the coup coming as their had been protests by the families of soldiers fighting the MNLA and other Tuareg forces.

The fighting has seen as many as 206,000 people flee their homes, compounding a humanitarian disaster at a time of drought and food shortages, said a UN agency on Thursday to AP.

The leader of this week's coup in Mali has told the BBC that he has no intention of staying in power.
Capt Amadou Sanogo said he would stand down after making sure the army, which is fighting ethnic-Tuareg rebels in the north, was able to secure the country.He also said former leaders would be transferred to the justice system,