Soldiers fire shots in Bamako, storm state broadcaster

BAMAKO (AFP) - Malian soldiers fired shots into the air in the capital Bamako on Wednesday before storming the offices of the state broadcaster, an AFP journalist witnessed.

"We are tired of the situation in the north" which is gripped by a Tuareg rebellion, a soldier told AFP as dozens fired their guns, sending panic through the streets.

Several hours earlier soldiers at a military camp some 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the capital fired into the air as they demanded proper weapons with which to face the rebels, who have seized several northern towns.

While no official death toll is available, many soldiers are believed to have died in the fighting, which has led to violent riots by their families.

"We want ammunition to go and fight the Tuareg rebels. Enough is enough," a corporal at the Kati camp told AFP.

He said the soldiers were not seeking the departure of President Amadou Toumani Toure.

"He is our president, but he needs to fix things," the soldier added.

Since mid-January northern Mali has been rocked by a rebellion fought by the nomadic Tuareg desert tribe who have taken up a decades-old struggle for independence for their region.

They have seized several northern towns and the fighting has displaced nearly 200,000 people and left scores dead.