Mali's mutinous soldiers are seen in front of a military camp in Kati, near Bamako, Mali, on Aug. 19, 2020. Mali's mutinous soldiers on Wednesday announced the creation of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) to lead a political transition toward general elections following the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the dissolution of the National Assembly and the government. (Photo by Habib Kouyate/Xinhua)

One of Mali's most influential power brokers, Mahmoud Dicko, will withdraw from politics, his spokesman said, after a meeting on Wednesday with leaders of a military coup who have promised to oversee elections within a "reasonable" time.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita resigned and dissolved parliament on Tuesday after the mutineers detained him at gunpoint, further rocking a country that is in the grip of a jihadist insurgency and civil unrest.

Fearing Keita's fall after nearly seven years in power could destabilize the Sahel region, the African Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) both suspended Mali.

The mood in the capital Bamako was calm throughout the day and junta leaders urged people and officials to return to life as normal. But the economic fallout from the coup started to appear as investors ditched shares in Mali-based gold mining companies and Cote d'Ivoire halted financial flows.

The mutineers met Dicko, a Salafist preacher who electrified protesters during anti-Keita demonstrations in recent weeks that drew tens of thousands of people. After the meeting, a spokesman for Dicko said he had decided to withdraw from politics.

Although no further details were shared, the move suggests at least part of the opposition movement is satisfied with the coup that orchestrators' promise to return to democratic practices.

A spokesman for the mutineers, who call themselves the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (NCSP), earlier said they were not seeking power.

"We are keen on the stability of the country, which will allow us to organize general elections ... within a reasonable time limit," Colonel Ismael Wague said on state television.

In response, the M5-RFP opposition coalition said that it had taken note of the NCSP's commitment to the transferal of power via the ballot box and would work with the group to achieve this.

The mutineers have denied reports of casualties from Tuesday's unrest, but human rights group Amnesty International said it had documented the deaths of four people, while 15 more were wounded by bullets.

Reuters