Explosions and sustained gunfire have been reported in Mali’s capital, Bamako, as armed groups launched what appear to be coordinated attacks across the country. On Saturday, the Malian military confirmed that “fighting is ongoing” and that “our defence and security forces are currently engaged in repelling the attackers.”
Witnesses informed Reuters of explosions and gunfire near the Kati military base, a significant installation located just outside the capital. Soldiers have been deployed to establish roadblocks in the vicinity.
Reports also indicate attacks in Gao and Kidal in the northern region, and Sevare in central Mali. An analyst characterized these incidents as the largest jihadist attack in the country in years.
A resident, returning to Bamako from Ethiopia, informed the BBC that all flights into the city were cancelled early Saturday. The extent to which the reported attacks have impacted the airport remains unclear.
Following the attacks, the UK’s Foreign Office advised against all travel to Mali, stating that Bamako International Airport is temporarily closed. Concurrently, the US Embassy in Mali instructed its citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel, citing explosions and gunfire near the airport and Kati.
While some residents reported calm in most areas of Bamako, ongoing reports of gunfire persisted in other parts. Checkpoints have reportedly been established on roads leading to the airport, with vehicles undergoing searches.
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel Programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Mali, told the BBC that this incident appears to be the “largest coordinated jihadist attack on Mali for years.”
The Malian military stated it is combating unidentified “terrorist groups” and asserted the situation was under control, although unconfirmed reports suggest fighting continues. Videos on social media indicate potential involvement of the jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) rebels.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the FLA, claimed on social media that their forces had seized control of several positions in Gao and Kidal. He also urged neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger, not to intervene. The BBC has not independently verified these claims.
Mali is currently governed by a military junta led by General Assimi Goïta, who initially seized power in a 2020 coup, vowing to restore security and counter armed groups.
The junta initially garnered popular support by pledging to address the protracted security crisis, which began with a separatist rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs in the north and was subsequently exploited by Islamist militants.
The UN peacekeeping mission and French forces were deployed in 2013 to manage the escalating insurgency.
Both the UN mission and French forces have since departed following the junta’s takeover. The military government has reportedly engaged Russian mercenaries to address the ongoing insecurity.
Despite these measures, the jihadist insurgency has persisted, with significant portions of the country’s north and east remaining outside government control.
Recently, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso withdrew from the West African bloc ECOWAS to establish the Alliance of Sahel States. This new bloc aims to facilitate resource sharing, infrastructure development, creation of a common market and currency, and free movement of people, with a long-term objective of deeper regional integration.
All three nations are currently under military governance, following a series of coups.
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