Leader of Mali’s ruling junta Lt. Col. Assimi Goita (C). File.
| Photo Credit: AP

Mali’s army said Tuesday (September 17, 2024) that the situation was “under control” after what it called a foiled infiltration attempt by “terrorists” into a military police base in the capital, Bamako, where attacks are rare.

“Early this morning, a group of terrorists tried to infiltrate the Faladie military police school,” the army said on social media.

“The situation is under control,” it also announced in a news flash on radio and television.

The security ministry spoke of “terrorist attacks” against “sensitive points of the capital”, including the military police school.

Mali’s military-led authorities generally use the term “terrorists” to describe jihadists and separatists in the north of the country.

Search operations are under way, the army said, calling on people to remain calm and avoid the area.

Two members of the military police were wounded, they and their family told AFP.

Bamako is normally spared the kind of attacks that occur in some parts of the West African country on an almost daily basis.

But the city awoke on Tuesday to the sound of gunfire and explosions, an AFP correspondent said.

Sporadic shots were still ringing out at the start of the morning.

“This morning armed men attacked at least one military police base in Bamako. They have not been formally identified,” a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Black smoke could be seen rising from an area near the airport.

“Bamako airport is temporarily closed due to events,” an airport official said, without saying how long the closure would last.

Gunfire, explosions

Volleys of gunfire interspersed with explosions began at around 5:00 a.m. (local and GMT), the AFP correspondent said.

A witness said he and other worshippers were stuck in a mosque near the area during early morning prayers.

The French high school, Liberte, announced it would remain closed “due to external events”.

Staff at the United Nations mission in Mali received a message, saying: “Gunshots heard in parts of Bamako. All UN personnel are to restrict movements until further notice.”

Poor and landlocked Mali has since 2012 been ravaged by different factions affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as by self-declared defence forces and bandits.

The violence spilled over into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Mali has been ruled by a military junta since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.

Under junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita, Mali broke a long-standing alliance with European partners and former colonial power France, turning instead to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for support.

The military government last year also ordered the withdrawal of the U.N. stabilisation mission, MINUSMA, and in January ended a 2015 peace agreement with separatist groups in the north.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – the latter two also now under military leadership – formed their own Sahel alliance a year ago and all pledged to leave regional bloc, ECOWAS.

The worsening security situation in Mali has been compounded by a humanitarian, economic and political crisis.

The military leaders have pledged to regain control of the entire country.

Dakar, Senegal:

Suspected jihadists in central Mali are holding more than 110 civilians they abducted six days ago, local sources told AFP on Monday.

Three buses carrying the civilians were stopped on April 16 by “jihadists”, who forced the vehicles and the passengers to head towards a forest between Bandiagara and Bankass, a local group of associations and an elected official said.

“We demand the release of more than 110 passengers of three buses kidnapped on Tuesday by jihadists,” a member of the group, Oumar Ongoiba, told AFP.

An elected official from Bandiagara, who wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons, said: “The three buses and the passengers, more than 120, are still being held by jihadists.”

Bandiagara associations had on Friday published a statement condemning the “persistence of terrorist attacks”, the “growing numbers of displaced” people in towns and “the lack of action by the armed forces”.

A protest against insecurity in the town last August following jihadist attacks turned violent and several people were injured.

Mali has since 2012 been ravaged by different factions affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as by self-declared, self-defence forces and bandits.

The violence spilled over into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, with all three countries seeing military regimes seize power.

Since overthrowing Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020, the junta has undertaken a strategic reorientation, breaking off its long alliance with former colonial power France and fostering closer military and political ties with Russia.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger formed their own Sahel alliance in November and all pledged to leave regional bloc ECOWAS.

The worsening security situation in Mali has been compounded by a humanitarian and political crisis.

The junta has faced domestic and international criticism raised since failing to meet commitments to hold a presidential election in February and then step down.

Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga said this month that elections would only be held once the security crisis has been stabilised.

Opposition silenced 

According to security sources and human rights reports, violence increased in the centre of Mali in the last quarter of 2023 when military operations surged.

Despite the operations, armed groups have continued their attacks in the centre and south, coming close to the outskirts of the capital Bamako.

In March, the army said troops had fought off three “terrorist” assaults targeting a customs post about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Bamako and two army camps in the south.

AFP could not independently verify claims from both sides from often remote places where access is rare. The Malian army rarely reports on any operation other than to claim victory.

The regime has effectively silenced the opposition, journalists and human rights defenders, with many in jail or exile.

On March 31, less than a week after the junta had been scheduled to hand power back to civilians, several political parties and civil society groups put out a rare statement demanding elections “as soon as possible” and noting the country was in a “legal and institutional vacuum”.

Days later, all political activities were suspended awaiting the results of a national dialogue launched by junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita in December.

Media coverage of political parties was also banned in the West African nation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)