France Urges Citizens to Leave Mali After Coordinated Attacks
France has urged its citizens to leave Mali “as soon as possible”
An “Extremely Volatile” Situation
The warning follows a weekend of coordinated attacks. Separatist fighters and Islamist militants carried them out. In an update on Wednesday, France also warned against travel to the West African nation. It described the situation as “extremely volatile”.
Attacks Across the Country
Explosions and sustained gunfire were reported across Mali. The capital, Bamako, was hit on Saturday. In Kati, defence leader Sadio Camara was killed in an apparent suicide bombing. In the north, separatist forces have taken control of Kidal city.
Mali’s military leader, Gen Assimi Goïta, said the situation was under control. Speaking publicly on Tuesday evening, he said the army had dealt a “violent blow” to the attackers. He signaled that operations were still ongoing.
Rebels Vow the Regime Will Fall
A spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) spoke on Wednesday. The FLA is an ethnic Tuareg separatist group. “The regime will fall, sooner or later,” he vowed.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane spoke to AFP during a visit to Paris. He said rebels intend to take control of several other northern towns. These include Gao, Timbuktu and Menaka. He also called for Russian forces to withdraw from “all of Mali”. The Russians have been helping the military government. They agreed to pull out of Kidal on Monday.
