Renegade soldiers declare power seizure in Mali Soldiers wearing fatigues say on state television that they have suspended the constitution A military spokesman says soldiers have taken over the nation The statements do not address the whereabouts of the president Kenya's foreign minister says he is holed up in a hotel in Mali's capital (CNN) -- Renegade Malian soldiers declared Thursday that they have seized power in the nation and dissolved public institutions because of the government's handling of an insurgency in the north. In a statement on state media, soldiers wearing fatigues -- led by a spokesman -- said they have also suspended the constitution. "Considering the incapacity of the regime in effectively fighting against terrorism and restoring dignity to the Malian people, using its constitutional rights, the armed forces of Mali, along with other security forces, have decided to take on their responsibilities to put an end to this incompetent regime of President Amadou Toumani Toure," said Amadou Konare, the spokesman for the soldiers. Toure's whereabouts were unclear. Hours before the military announcement, the president's official government Twitter feed denied reports of an attempted coup. Security forces have formed the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State to work as a transitional government, Konare said. He accused the government of not providing soldiers with the means to battle local Tuareg nomads whose uprising has grown as rebels return from fighting for ousted Libyan ruler, Moammar Gadhafi. The influx of fighters returning from Libya has re-energized the Tuareg insurgency, which seeks to wrest control of some northern regions. Security forces have battled the rebels in the regions, sending tens of thousands of Malians fleeing into neighboring countries. The apparent leader of the group appealed for calm and declared an immediate curfew between midnight to 6 a.m. until further notice. Toure has led the nation for 10 years and is scheduled to step down next month after serving two presidential terms. "Deserters and other military personnel who do not want to go to the front are mutinied," he said late Wednesday, hours before soldiers made the announcement. The growing Tuareg insurgency has raised concerns in Washington, which sees the small nation as an important ally against AQIM, the sub-Saharan al Qaeda group. A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States, which was on a fact-finding mission on the Tuareg uprising, was caught up in the chaos in the capital Thursday. Its director said his attempts to talk to both sides had been unsuccessful. Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said in a Facebook post that he was holed up inside a hotel in Mali's capital, where he had been attending a regional peace and security meeting. Situation worsening. Curfew imposed. Airport closed. Heavier gunfire can be heard repeatedly," he wrote on Thursday. The day before, he posted that he would be attending the conference in Mali. "A spate of instability activities are being witnessed in the region," he wrote, mentioning an "armed insurrection" in Mali. The Kenyan government said in a statement Thursday that Wetangula and government officials accompanying him were safe in their hotel in Bamako. "The government is in touch with the Kenyan delegation and is keenly observing the unfolding scenario and awaiting for more information on the state of security," the statement said. The government is also trying to establish contact with the interim authority that is reported to have taken charge in a bid to have the Kenyans evacuated. CNN's Alden Mahler Levine, Faith Karimi, Lillian Leposo and David McKenzie contributed to this report