The action of mutinous soldiers in Mali who overthrew the elected government by force on Thursday has drawn criticism worldwide.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday strongly condemned the mutiny in Mali, calling on "those responsible to refrain from any actions that could increase violence and further destabilize the country.”  In a statement issued by Ban’s spokesman, the UN chief called for the immediate restoration of constitutional rule in Mali."The United Nations is ready to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including the leaders in the sub-region and ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) toward this end, so as to preserve the democratic gains made by Mali over the past two decades,” the statement said.  The UN Security Council on Thursday also strongly condemned the action of the mutinous soldiers in Mali and demanded the release of all detained officials including some government ministers arrested during the military coup.A statement of the Security Council said "They (the council members) call on these elements to ensure the safety and security of President Amadou Toumani Toure and to return to their barracks.”  The members of the Security Council "demand the release of all detained Malian officials, and call for the immediate restoration of constitutional law and the democratically elected government,” said the statement. Meanwhile, the African Union (AU) said that Jean Ping, chairperson of the AU Commission, has strongly condemned the act of rebellion, which seriously undermines constitutional legality and constitutes a significant setback for Mali and for the ongoing democratic processes on the continent.