Media blackout - The Malian media on Tuesday organised a blackout to press demands for the release of the editorial director of privately-owned newspaper in the country.
Boukari Daou of the 'Le Républicain' was arrested last Wednesday by the state security and has been detained since then.
A joint statement issued on Tuesday by three media associations - the National Press Grouping, the Association of Press Publishers and the Union of Mali's Free Radio and Television - said to avoid the situation getting worse they gave precedence to mediation.
According to the statement, the three associations also met the Communications Minister and government spokesman, Manga Dembele, and the Prime Minister Prime Minister Diango Cissoko, separately and they promised to seek the quick release of the journalist.
However, the newspaper's offices have since been under heavy police guard and there were attempts to arrest other members of the paper's editorial staff.
Daou was arrested at his paper's headquarters last Wednesday afternoon by six armed men in a 4-wheel-drive.
The reasons for this arrest are most probably linked to the publication of an article entitled 'Open letter to Captain Sanogo'.
In that letter signed by one 'Captain Touré', a group of soldiers expressed their disapproval at the salary and allowances of the president of the army reform monitoring committee, estimated at over 4 million FCFA per month.
Pana 13/03/2013