Category: Mali

Suspect in Attack on Mali’s President Dies in Custody

BAMAKO, Mali—A man detained for attempting to stab Mali’s transitional president last week has died in a hospital while in custody, the government said. The attempted stabbing of Col. Assimi Goita was on July 20 at a public ceremony at the Great Mosque in the capital, Bamako, to celebrate the Muslim holiday of sacrifice, Eid…


French Army Says It Has Killed Two ‘Terrorists’ in Mali

PARIS—The French army has killed two members of the EIGS “terrorist” group, which France says has links to the ISIS terrorist group, in Mali, French armed forces minister Florence Parly said on Thursday. Parly’s statement said the operation had taken place overnight in the Menaka region in co-ordination with the U.S. army. “This latest operation…


Mali’s President Says He Was Unharmed in Stabbing Attempt

BAMAKO, Mali—Mali’s interim President Assimi Goita said he was unharmed after a man tried to stab him Tuesday at the Grand Mosque in the capital amid celebrations for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Goita, a special forces colonel who staged two coups within nine months to become the transitional leader, spoke to the West…


Three Chinese, Two Mauritanians Kidnapped from Construction Site in Northern Mali

BAMAKO—Three Chinese nationals and two Mauritanians were abducted from a construction site in northern Mali on Saturday when gunmen raided the site for equipment and took hostages, the army said. The raid took place 34 miles from the town of Kwala, a regular transit point for companies moving through Mali’s desert north, the army said…


12 German Soldiers Wounded in Attack on UN Base in Mali

BERLIN—The United Nations said 12 German troops and a Belgian soldier serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali were wounded Friday in an attack in the country’s restive north. The UN mission in the country, MINUSMA, had earlier said that 15 peacekeepers were wounded when a temporary operational base in the Gao region was…


Mali’s Coup Leader Dismisses President and Prime Minister

BAMAKO, Mali—Mali’s former coup leader Assimi Goita took control of the country again Tuesday after firing the president and prime minister of the transitional government after they announced a cabinet reshuffle without his permission. While Goita pledged to go ahead with holding new elections in 2022 as promised, his display of force casts doubt on…


France’s Foreign Minister Confirms Kidnapping of Journalist in Mali

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed on Sunday that a French journalist who disappeared in Mali last month was likely kidnapped by Islamist terrorists. Reporter Olivier Dubois was believed to have been kidnapped after his disappearance on April 8. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced Dubois’s kidnap on May 6 after a video was released that showed…


UK Troops Seize Weapons Cache Hidden by Islamic Terrorists in Mali

UK troops have battled a sandstorm to seize a cache of weapons hidden by terrorists in Mali, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Saturday. Around 100 soldiers from the Light Dragoons and Royal Anglian Regiment found AK47 rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, camouflage clothing, radios, mobile phones, and hundreds of litres of fuel…


Woman From Mali Gives Birth to 9 Babies in Morocco After Expecting 7

A Malian woman gave birth to nine babies at once—after expecting seven, according to Mali’s Minister of Health and the Moroccan clinic where the nonuplets were born. It appeared to be the first time on record that a woman had given birth to nine surviving babies at once. The five girls and four boys, and…


ISIS Claims Responsibility for Killing 33 Malian Soldiers

DAKAR—ISIS terrorist group’s West Africa affiliate claimed responsibility on Sunday for an ambush last week that killed 33 Malian soldiers, according to a statement published by the SITE Intelligence Group. Fourteen soldiers were also injured in Monday’s attack near the northern town of Tessit, near the border with Niger, according to Mali’s army. ISIS said…