Ofure Akhigbe
Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop has rejected what he described as exaggerated claims of a deepening security crisis in the country, dismissing fears that Islamist militants are close to seizing the capital, Bamako.
Speaking on Wednesday at the BAMEX’25 Defense Expo, Diop said the government had largely contained the effects of a fuel blockade declared in September by the al Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). The blockade, which sparked temporary school closures and long queues at petrol stations, had raised concerns about the government’s grip on the unfolding security crisis.
“We are very far from the scenario being described outside our country, saying that the terrorists are here or coming to take Bamako,” Diop told reporters, adding that JNIM was “no match” for Mali’s security forces.
His comments follow renewed warnings from several Western nations — including the United States, France, Britain, and Italy — urging their citizens to leave Mali over the escalating security crisis. The African Union has also called for an international response to the situation.
Diop criticized the warnings as alarmist, insisting that Mali remains stable, secure, and open to foreigners. He noted that relations with the United States are improving, with both countries engaged in dialogue on security and economic cooperation aimed at addressing the broader security crisis in the region.