Mali’s foreign minister has rejected claims that jihadists could soon capture the capital, calling them unrealistic. It was the government’s first detailed response to growing security concerns that prompted Western nations to advise their citizens to leave the country.
The latest show of force by the jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has raised international concern that it could eventually try to seize control of Mali.
Many schools in the capital, Bamako, have reopened this week, even as the city hosts a defence exhibition featuring Turkish companies.
Speaking at a press conference during the event on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said Mali was managing the impact of the recent fuel blockade and insisted that JNIM posed no serious threat to the country’s security forces.
"We are very far from the scenario being described to you outside our country, saying that the terrorists are here, they are in Bamako, they are going to take this, that," he said. "We are not at all in that scenario."
Those making such predictions, he added, "need to wake up from their dreams."
Diop said the goal of the blockade was to provoke unrest and destabilise the military-led government that took power following coups in 2020 and 2021. He also criticised the African Union’s recent call for an international response, saying it reflected “a poor understanding of conditions on the ground.”
While acknowledging that some Western nations had advised their citizens to leave Mali, Diop said he respected those decisions but stressed that the country remains open and welcoming to foreigners.
The military-led governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have withdrawn from the West African bloc ECOWAS, distanced themselves from Western allies, and strengthened military cooperation with Russia.
Diop added that relations with the United States were improving under the Trump administration, saying the two countries were engaged in “dialogue” on security and economic issues, though he did not provide details.
Two teenage gunmen opened fire on Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, killing a security guard ...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack against Iran after Tehran sent a peac...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had paused a planned attack on Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington. He said th...
At least four people have been killed in protests across Kenya over sharp fuel price rises, as a nationwide transport strike brought parts of the c...
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to secu...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack against Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington, and that there was now a "very good chance" of reaching a deal limiting Iran's nuclear programme.
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
Global leaders gathered in Baku this week for the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, where heads of state and senior officials warned that rapid urban growth is placing increasing pressure on housing, infrastructure and climate resilience.
The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) has opened in Baku, bringing together governments, international organisations, city leaders and civil society to address mounting global urban challenges.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the situation poses a significant risk of cross-border spread in Central Africa.
Two teenage gunmen opened fire on Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, killing a security guard and two other men outside the mosque before the suspects were found dead, apparently from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said.
At least four people have been killed in protests across Kenya over sharp fuel price rises, as a nationwide transport strike brought parts of the country to a standstill.
Gunmen killed at least 10 people, including women and children, in an attack on a rural community in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina State, residents said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to China is expected to focus on strengthening bilateral ties, particularly through expanded trade and economic cooperation.
Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed at least eight Palestinians on Sunday, according to local health officials, as the Israel Defense Forces intensified operations targeting Hamas commanders and infrastructure across the enclave.
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