Mali’s military claims the situation in the country is under control following a series of attacks on Saturday, despite shooting continuing to be heard in the capital, Bamako, and helicopters flying overhead. Residents and authorities said gunmen attacked several locations across the country early in the morning in a possible coordinated assault. Witnesses reported intense fighting in the nearby town of Kati, home to a major army barracks and junta leader General Assimi Goita.
Tuareg rebels in the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) meanwhile claim to have seized the northern city of Kidal and parts of Gao. The Malian junta, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, has labelled the FLA a “terrorist” group. A Malian army spokesperson said that “unidentified armed terrorist groups” had targeted certain locations and military barracks in the capital and the interior of the country, urging the public to remain calm and vigilant.
The United Nations noted there had been “simultaneous complex attacks” in several towns and cities across the country, as well as at the airport. The US embassy issued a security alert urging its citizens to “shelter in place”. The African Union has condemned the armed attacks, warning of the threat to civilians and stability. Mali has been plagued by insurgencies fought by affiliates of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as the Tuareg-led separatist rebellion in the north, which has fought for years to create the state of Azawad. Like neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, Mali has severed ties with France and moved closer to Russia following military coups, though analysts say the security situation across the three countries has worsened in recent times.
