African Union Warns of Escalating Insecurity in Mali
According to the English section of webangah news Agency, citing Reuters, the African Union expressed deep concern over escalating insecurity in Mali. It urged urgent measures and increased intelligence cooperation to combat active terrorist groups in the contry.
Mohamed Ali Yusuf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, stated in a press release that since September, Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups have disrupted civilians’ access to basic necessities, including fuel. This has severely impacted daily life by forcing school closures and halting businesses, especially in Bamako.
In recent weeks,Al-Qaeda-linked factions have intensified their attacks. The group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) claimed on Monday that it killed 48 Malian soldiers and wounded over 100 more during an assault on a military post in the Soumpi area north of Timbuktu. The Malian army has yet to comment on this claim.
The African Union also demanded the immediate release of three Egyptian nationals recently kidnapped by armed militants. Past reports indicate these groups finance their operations through foreign abductions; as a notable example, around $50 million was paid for the release of two UAE nationals.
Since suspending Mali’s membership following a military coup in 2021, the African Union has remained critical of developments there. Mali-along with Niger and Burkina Faso-has withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and increasingly relies on military cooperation with Russia.
