The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Mali, where on Tuesday the military arrested President Ibrahim Abu Bakr Keita and Prime Minister Bobo Cisse, and the closed meeting will be held at the request of France and Niger.

The official Mali news agency confirmed the arrest of the president and the prime minister at the hands of a military force, which it described as a rebel, and said that the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, the President of the National Assembly (parliament) and the ministers of foreign affairs, defense and economy were also arrested.

Within hours, the rebellion - which was launched from the Kati military base - turned into a coup attempt condemned by the international community, especially France, which has been deploying 5,100 soldiers in the Sahel region, particularly in Mali, as part of Operation Barkhane.

The rebels took control of the base and nearby streets, before heading in a convoy to the center of the capital, Mako, where they were welcomed by demonstrators who gathered to demand the president's departure.

International condemnation

The international community was quick to denounce the military coup, while the demonstrators who have been calling for months for the departure of the head of state.

On Tuesday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, called for the immediate and unconditional release of President Abubakar Keita, and urged all parties concerned - especially the defense and security forces - to exercise maximum restraint.

A spokesman for Guterres said in a statement that "the Secretary-General strongly condemns these actions and calls for the immediate restoration of constitutional order and the rule of law in Mali."

French President Emmanuel Macron also discussed the crisis in Bamako with his counterparts in Niger, Mohamed Issoufou, Ivory Coast, Al-Hassan Ouattara, and Senegal, Macky Sall, and affirmed his "full support for the ongoing mediation efforts from West African countries."

The French presidency said that President Macron is closely following the situation in Mali and condemns the ongoing rebellion attempt there.

In the context, the United States expressed its opposition to what is happening, and the US envoy to the Sahel, Peter Pam, declared on Twitter, "We follow with concern the development of the situation today in Mali, that the United States opposes any change of government outside the framework of the constitution, whether by those in the street or by Defense and Security Forces. "

For his part, Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian President's special envoy for North Africa and the countries of Africa, expressed Moscow's concern about the military coup in Mali, and said that they are closely following the development of the situation there.

Bogdanov - who is also deputy foreign minister - indicated that the Russian embassy in the capital, Mako, reported that the rebels had captured the presidential palace, and that an exchange of fire took place.

European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said it could not be a response to the deep social and political crisis that has hit Mali for several months.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, condemned the arrest of the Malian president, and said in a tweet, "I strongly condemn the arrest of President Keita, the Prime Minister and other members of the Mali government, and I call for their immediate release."

"I strongly condemn any attempt to change the constitution, and I call on the rebels to stop the use of violence and to respect republican institutions," he added.

Rebel soldiers arrested the president, prime minister, and other officials (Getty Images)

President arrest

The French Press Agency quoted Askari - which she said was one of the leaders of the rebellion - as saying, "We can assure you that the president and the prime minister are in our grip." Al-Askari, who requested anonymity, explained that they were arrested from the president's house.

The agency also quoted another military source in the rebel camp that "President Keita and the Prime Minister are in an armored vehicle heading to Katy," which is the military base from which the rebellion began.

For its part, the Associated Press quoted eyewitnesses as saying that rebel soldiers surrounded the presidential residence and fired shots in the air.

In turn, Reuters reported, citing two security sources, that rebel soldiers had arrested President Ibrahim Abu Bakr Keita, after the arrest of a number of high-ranking civilian and military officials.

The protest movement against the president has been going on since last June (Reuters)

Serious crisis

Mali has faced a serious social and political crisis since June, and the opposition organized new demonstrations this week to demand the resignation of the president, culminating in the occupation of a symbolic place in the center of the capital, Macau, on Friday and Saturday.

The June 5 Movement - which is leading the anti-authority demonstrations - comprises a diverse alliance between clerics, politicians and civil society organizations.

Last Thursday, the movement rejected a proposal made by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to meet with President Keita, stipulating before that in particular an end to the "suppression" of its activists.