A government official says the president of Mali's transitional government has signed a decree dissolving political parties amid a backdrop of pro-democracy opposition.

Mali's military government announced on Tuesday that it had dissolved all political parties, approving a recommendation publicised last month that spurred unprecedented protests in the capital, Bamako.

At least two Malian pro-democracy activists have been taken away in Bamako by armed men after criticizing the military government and calling for a return to constitutional order and elections.