Mali’s coup leaders have released interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane.
They were freed at around 01:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Thursday, the BBC’s Noel Ebrin Brou reports.
The two men had been held at a military camp since Monday.
“We were true to our word,” an unnamed military official is quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
The president and prime minister were forced to resign after being stripped of their powers by the military – the second coup in the West African nation in nine months.
Reports of their resignations come as West African mediators visit the country hoping to organise their release from military detention.
On Tuesday a military colonel – who was the vice-president in the transitional government – accused President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane of sabotaging the transition.
The two men have been held at a military camp since Monday.
The Ecowas team has an extremely difficult mission.
Led by the former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, it hopes to get the ousted president and prime minister released from military detention as soon as possible.
But beyond that it is not clear what it can achieve now that Colonel Assimi Goïta is running the country and looks set to name a new prime minister.
Ecowas and other international bodies could impose sanctions against those behind the coup.
But they will be aware that that could further complicate Mali’s road to elections and the promised return to civilian rule early next year.
The UN Security Council is due to discuss the political crisis later on Wednesday.
