Mali's prime minister resigned on state television early on Tuesday, hours after soldiers who led a recent coup burst into his home and arrested him, the latest sign of the volatile political situation in this once-stable West African nation.

Prime Minister Cheikh Modibo Diarra addressed the nation, saying: "Our country is living through a period of crisis. Men and women who are worried about the future of our nation are hoping for peace.

"It's for this reason that I, Cheikh Modibo Diarra, am resigning along with my entire government on this day, Tuesday, Dec 11, 2012. I apologize before the entire population of Mali," he said.