African Union says Malian president, prime minister both arrested by ‘rebel soldiers’

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — The African Union and United Nations say mutinous soldiers have arrested Mali’s transitional president and prime minister and taken them to military headquarters. The development came Monday just hours after a government reshuffle left out two members of the junta that seized power in a coup nine months earlier. The joint statement by the AU, UN and the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS calls for the immediate release of President Bah N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane. Mali’s transitional government was sworn in last September in the aftermath of military coup and is tasked with organizing new elections by February.