Tag Archives: Mali

At least twelve civilians were killed in an attack by suspected extremists in an area of western Burkina Faso bordering Mali, a local official and residents told AFP on Saturday. The village of Kie was attacked by “unidentified armed individuals on Friday evening,” a local official said on the condition …

The German military resumed its reconnaissance mission in Mali on Tuesday after a suspension of more than three weeks following a spat with Mali’s government regarding overflight clearances. Berlin has deployed some 1,000 troops to Mali, most of them near the northern town of Gao where their main task is …

France said on Monday that all of its troops battling the militants in Mali since 2013 have now left the country after a decision in February to withdraw over the deterioration of relations between Paris and Bamako. “Today at 13:00 (Paris time), the last military unit of the Barkhane force …

Germany will end its participation in the European Union training mission in Mali but is ready to continue with a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country under certain conditions, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Wednesday. France and allies fighting Islamist militants in Mali earlier this year said they would …

France’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned an attack that killed seven United Nations peacekeepers and wounded several others in Mali on Wednesday, saying those responsible must be identified and held accountable. Seven United Nations peacekeepers in central Mali were killed and three others seriously wounded by an improvised explosive device, …

Trapped in conflicts, the children of West and Central Africa are the most recruited by armed groups in the world and also have the highest number of victims of sexual violence, says a report released Tuesday by the United Nations Children’s Fund. For five years the region has seen increased …

The European Union agreed on Monday to draft a framework for possible sanctions on Russian mercenaries who could be deployed to West Africa’s Sahel region, France’s foreign minister said. Reuters reported in September that Mali’s military junta was in discussions about deploying Russia’s Wagner Group in Mali, which France says …

Mali’s transitional government has given the special representative from West Africa’s main regional bloc 72 hours to leave the country over “actions incompatible with his status”, the foreign ministry said on Monday. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been pressing Mali to respect its commitment to hold …

France says one of its soldiers has been killed during a “maintenance operation” in northern Mali. French Defense Minister Florence Parly said on Wednesday that non-commissioned officer Adrien Quelin “died [on Tuesday] following an accident that occurred during a maintenance operation in Timbuktu.” According to French Government Spokesperson Gabriel Attal, an investigation …

A cargo plane delivered four helicopters, weapons, and ammunition from Russia to Mali late on Thursday, Malian interim defense minister Sadio Camara said. He said Mali had bought the helicopters in a contract agreed in December 2020 to support its armed forces in their battle alongside French, European and UN …

France’s foreign minister has warned his Russian counterpart against involving paramilitaries from the controversial Wagner group in Mali’s conflict. “On Mali, the minister alerted his Russian counterpart to the serious consequences of the Wagner group’s involvement in this country,” the French foreign ministry said Friday. Jean-Yves Le Drian met Sergey …

Germany warned Mali on Wednesday that a deal with Russian private security group Wagner would “call into question” its deployment in the West African country as part of United Nations and European Union missions. “If Mali’s government makes such a deal with Russia, then it goes against everything that Germany, …

Mali’s former prime minister Boubeye Maiga was arrested on Thursday for his role in the purchase of a presidential plane during the rule of ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, his lawyer said. The exact reason for the arrest was not clear, but it was related to Mali’s purchase of a …

Suspected jihadists massacred more than 40 civilians in northern Mali and killed 12 troops in an ambush in neighbouring Burkina Faso, officials said Monday, highlighting the security crisis gripping the two fragile states. More than 40 people were killed on Sunday when “terrorists” invaded the villages of Karou, Ouatagouna, and …

Thirty-seven people were killed in a road accident in south-central Mali on Tuesday, the transport ministry said, after a passenger bus collided with a truck. The force of the crash, which happened 20 km (12 miles) from the town of Segou, sheared off the front section of the bus and …

A report by a UK-based investigative group says an airstrike by France in Mali early this year killed 19 civilians and was a “complete violation of international human rights and international humanitarian law.” The report, released by the London-based international law firm Stoke White Investigations on Monday, said that French …

A French Mirage 2000 jet has crashed in northern Mali due to a technical problem, a spokesman for the French army told Reuters on Tuesday. Colonel Pascal Ianni also said that the two pilots involved in the crash were safe.

Mali’s interim President Assimi Goita was the target of an attempted stabbing attack during Eid al-Adha prayers at Bamako’s Grand Mosque, the West African nation’s presidency said in a statement on Twitter on Tuesday. “The attacker was immediately overpowered by security. Investigations are ongoing,” the presidency said. Two military sources …

Assailants also destroyed equipment belonging to Chinese and Mauritanian construction companies. Gunmen have abducted three Chinese nationals and two Mauritanians from a construction site in southwestern Mali, according to the country’s armed forces. The assailants stormed the site 55km (34 miles) from the town of Kwala on Saturday, and made …

Armed assailants killed 19 villagers in western Niger near the border with Mali, where Islamist militants have increasingly targeted civilians this year, the mayor of a nearby town said on Friday.