The UN and the African Union have condemned the government of Mali for what they called its use of lethal force on protesters who are calling for the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.

The protests, which started last month, turned violent on Friday with police reportedly firing gunshots towards demonstrators - some of whom had occupied government buildings in the capital, Bamako.

In a statement, the UN mission in Mali, the African Union, the European Union and the West African regional grouping Ecowas all criticised the Malian authorities over its handling of the protests.

They have also condemned vandalism by the protesters and called on all parties to exercise restraint.

They urged the Malian government to release opposition leaders arrested over the weekend.

The Malian authorities said at least four people were killed on Friday, but the opposition says eight more were killed by the police on Saturday during the street protests.

The protesters want President Keïta to step down over what they describe as his government's failure to end the long-running violence by militants linked to al-Qaeda and IS, as well as the economic crisis and the disputed legislative elections held in March.