Mali Ministers Held By Junta Go On Hunger Strike

The brother of one of ministers being detained by the junta that took over Mali last week says his brother and 13 others held with him have started a hunger strike.Tiegoum Boubeye Maiga said Sunday that they started the strike to protest against their detention.Maiga is the brother of Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, who was the foreign minister in the government ousted Wednesday in a military coup.Tiegoum Maiga says among those held with his brother are the justice minister, the interior minister, the mayor of Bamako and a former Prime Minister, Modibo Sidibe.Soldiers in Mali led by a middle-ranking U.S.-trained officer, Capt. Amadou Sanogo, surrounded the presidential palace on Wednesday and took power overnight. They announced the coup on Thursday morning on state TV and radio.