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| - Mali has been gripped for months by a political crisis that has sparked the country's worst unrest in years and a coup that toppled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Here is a timeline of the crisis. On August 18, rebel soldiers seize a military base outside the capital Bamako. They take Keita and prime minister Boubou Cisse into custody and drive them to the base, cheered on by crowds. West African regional bloc ECOWAS condemns the coup and pledges a range of retaliatory actions, including financial sanctions. Keita appears on state television to declare the dissolution of the government and national assembly and announces he has resigned to avoid "bloodshed." The coup leaders appear on television hours later to pledge a political transition and new elections within a "reasonable time". On August 19, army colonel Assimi Goita emerges as the country's new strongman. The opposition says it is ready to work with the junta towards a political transition. The international community condemns the coup and demands a return to constitutional order and the liberation of the president. On August 20, Mali's neighbours, meeting for an emergency summit, call for Keita's reinstatement and decide to send a delegation to Bamako to seek an "immediate return to constitutional order". The junta says that a transitional president will be installed. It announces that Mali's borders will be reopened from midnight. On August 21, the coup leaders are hailed by a crowd at the foot of Bamako's independence monument. The United States suspends military aid to Mali. After three days of negotiations, the junta and west African envoys part ways on August 24, without an accord on the conditions for transferring power to civilians. The two sides say that Keita does not want to rule. On August 27, the new military rulers say that Keita has been freed. On September 5 he is flown to the United Arab Emirates for medical treatment after a mini-stroke. On August 28, ECOWAS demands the immediate launching of a transition to civilian rule and elections within 12 months. Influential imam Mahmoud Dicko says that the new military rulers do not have "carte blanche". On August 29, the junta postpones the first meeting on a civilian transition with political and civil organisations and confirms that Goita is head of state. On September 12, the junta vows to establish an 18-month transition government to return the country to civilian rule. The coalition that led the protests against Keita rejects the text. Mali's neighbours and the African Union increase pressure. On September 21, Goita announces that former defence minister Bah Ndaw will become transition president -- while he himself will serve as vice president. On the 25, Bah Ndaw is sworn in. ECOWAS says it will maintain its sanctions until a civilian prime minister is appointed. On October 5, a transition government tasked with leading Mali back to civilian rule is appointed, with numerous members of the junta occupying key posts. Between October 4-6 Mali frees over 100 alleged or convicted jihadists in a bid to secure the release of a top politician and French charity worker, Sophie Petronin. On October 6 ECOWAS says it is ending its sanctions. ang/jmy/ach
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