A coup in Mali, West Africa, could have ramifications far beyond its borders, threatening to further destabilize across the region and jeopardizing counter-insurgency efforts led by France and the United States, reports CNN.
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta announced his resignation on state television late Tuesday, hours after he and prime minister Boubou Cissé were arrested by mutinous soldiers.
The coup -- the latest upheaval in a cycle of turmoil lasting almost a decade -- follows months of mass anti-government protests and a worsening insurgency from Islamist militants north of the capital, Bamako.
Mali shares borders with Burkina Faso and Niger, and all three countries have struggled with the growing presence of Islamist groups.
Given the instability in the Sahel region, observers fear that if Mali falls further into chaos, the dominoes will fall hard and fast, potentially unleashing unrest as far afield as coastal west Africa -- where the United States has economic and strategic interests -- and beyond.
Public discontent began growing in May after the country's top constitutional court overturned the results of a disputed election, paving the way for Keita's party to occupy a majority of the vacant seats in parliament.