The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry has told Vietnamese citizens in Mali to evacuate to a safe place or return to Vietnam following a March 21 military coup in the west African nation.

The ministry has requested the International Organization for Migration (IOM) offices in Hanoi and Bamako to support Vietnamese citizens in Mali.

The ministry also requested relevant offices, organizations and individuals to have their employees and relatives contact the IOM office in Bamako in order to receive support in the evacuation process, or in emergency cases, returning to Vietnam.

The IOM’s Mali office is located at Hamdallaye ACI 2000, BP E 288, Bamako, Mali; phone number: + 223.2.029.7697 or +223.2.029.7698.

On March 21, renegade soldiers from Mali's army attacked several locations in the capital city of Bamako, including the presidential palace, state television and military barracks.

The soldiers, who said they had formed the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State, declared the following day that they had overthrown the government of Amadou Toumani Touré, forcing him into hiding, according to The Guardian.

On March 23, the African Union issued a suspension of Mali which would remain in place until "effective restoration of constitutional order is achieved," the VOA reported.

It said several African leaders said they had been in touch with the ousted Malian president and that he was still safe and being protected by forces which have remained loyal to his regime./.