In Traore's absence, Mali is being effectively led by interim Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra, a former NASA engineer who holds U.S. citizenship.

CNN: Islamist militants taking advantage of chaos in Mali

On Saturday the prime minister and leader of Mali's transitional government, Cheick Modibo Diarra, arrived in Abidjan for talks with ECOWAS head Alassane Ouattara, the president of Ivory Coast.

CNN: Mali rebel groups join forces, vowing an Islamic state

"The fighting is heavy and it is ongoing, " Malian army Capt Modibo Naman Traore told the Reuters news agency, adding that the army was in the process of "encircling" the militants.

BBC: Timbuktu clashes between Mali army and Islamists