The coup leader in Mali has denounced the widespread looting in the capital, Bamako, which followed his overthrow of the government on Wednesday. In a message on state TV, Amadou Sanogo blamed the looting on "ill-intentioned individuals" wearing uniforms to try to turn public opinion against the coup. Capt Sanogo said such vandalism was "not our mission, nor our cause". He has promised to hand power to an elected government once a rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs has been put down. The Tuaregs have forced the army out of several northern towns in recent months; the troops behind Wednesday's coup accused the government of not giving them enough arms to tackle the rebellion. President President Amadou Toumani Toure's whereabouts remain unclear, but he is still believed to be under the protection of an elite loyalist squad. 'Concrete evidence' Mali's state television briefly cut out on Friday evening, sparking rumours that the coup had failed and that Capt Sanogo may have been killed. But he later appeared on screen himself to reject the rumours and denounce the chaos on the streets. Reports from Bamako say uniformed men have been looting shops and petrol stations and hijacking cars. "I deplore the acts of vandalism and pillaging which have occurred," he said. "Yesterday, I obtained concrete proof that ill-intentioned individuals were wearing uniforms of the police, the army, in order to break this coup, just to turn the population, to turn opinion against us." He asked the public to excuse those behind the coup for "all the aggravation caused" and said justice would be done. "I urge all Malians, at whatever level, to stop without delay these acts of vandalism and pillaging... This is not our mission, nor our cause, nor our objective." The BBC's West African correspondent, Thomas Fessy, says Capt Sanogo was flanked by officers from several different army units for his address, as a show of military unity. But it is still unclear whether the whole army is backing the coup leaders, says our correspondent. Bamako was reported to be quieter on Saturday after several days of unrest. A coalition of the main political parties has condemned the coup and called for elections, which were due at the end of next month. The foreign ministers of Kenya, Tunisia and Zimbabwe were all in Bamako at the time of the coup and have been unable to leave. They are reported to be safe and staying in hotels but the Kenyan minister, Moses Wetangula, said the situation was worrying. The African Union has suspended Mali from the organisation until constitutional order is restored, while the European Union has suspended its development operations there until the security situation becomes clear.