Mali’s transitional military government reported several attacks by Islamists.
Islamist militants attacked a river boat in northeastern Mali, the BBC reported. At least 49 people must have been killed. The BBC quoted sources in the country’s transitional government.
The Islamists are also said to have attacked an army camp and killed 15 soldiers. It is also said that 50 Islamist militants were killed here.
The government declared three days of national mourning following the attacks.
The Russian mercenary group Wagner has had a military presence in Mali in recent years. There is unconfirmed information about the group’s situation so far in Mali.
France had a military presence in the former colony from 2013 to 2022.
Mali is among several West African countries fighting an Islamist insurgency with links to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group that began in 2012. Over the years, the Islamists have increasingly gained a foothold, despite international efforts to support Sahel forces. This is what NTB writes.
In addition, eight military coups have occurred in West and Central Africa in the past three years, two of them in Mali and two in neighboring Burkina Faso. Mali’s transitional military government has ended security cooperation with France and the United Nations.
On 31 August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Norwegian Embassy in Mali would be closed due to the security situation in the country and in relation to the United Nations Integrated Operations Operation (MINUSMA) which would be terminated by the end of the year.
Norway is among the countries that participated with troops in the United Nations operation.
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