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Capt. Amadou Sanago, who led the mutinous soldiers during the March coup, took control and Toure went into hiding. But a little more than a month later, members of the presidential unit launched an attempted counter-coup. They tried to take control of the airport, a key bridge and the country’s main TV station in the capital of Bamako. After several days of fighting, however, Sanago’s forces held on to power.

Although Mali now has a new acting president, Dioncounda Traore, forces loyal to Sanago are still considered to be in charge of the country.

Details of the fate of those in the presidential unit have emerged over the past several months. At least 40 soldiers were believed captured by Sanago’s forces.

A report by a human rights group says some of those soldiers captured were forced at gunpoint to have sex with each other. “Fabric was stuffed in their mouths before the abuse to stifle their screams,” the report from Human Rights Watch stated. Others were beaten.

Witnesses said around 20 of the soldiers were seen after the coup being led away, never to be found again.

Sanago later disbanded the unit but some in Mali have called for its reinstatement, according to reports in Mali’s news media.

Mali’s military, with the backing of French troops, is now fighting against Islamist groups in the north of the country and has made in-roads in forcing those forces out of major towns and cities. But Mali’s soldiers have also been accused of human rights abuses. The International Federation for Human Rights has reported that Malian troops killed 33 civilians, including Tuareg tribesmen.