France and the United Kingdom have issued urgent travel warnings for Mali, advising their citizens to leave the West African nation immediately following a wave of coordinated attacks by jihadist militants and Tuareg separatists.
The French foreign ministry updated its travel guidelines on Wednesday, describing the security situation in the country as 'extremely volatile.'
According to France24, the warning follows a weekend of attacks targeting government sites in various cities. The French government is now advising its nationals to 'make arrangements to leave Mali temporarily as soon as possible on the commercial flights that are still available.'
While waiting for departure, the ministry instructed French citizens to stay at home, limit their movements, and follow local instructions.
Escalating violence in Bamako and the north
Reports of intense violence surfaced over the weekend, including explosions and sustained gunfire in the capital, Bamako, BBC World reported.
In the town of Kati, located just outside the capital, a suicide bombing attributed to militants killed defense leader Sadio Camara, according to the BBC.
Simultaneously, separatist forces have seized control of the northern city of Kidal, according to reports from the BBC.
Despite the scale of the offensive, Mali's military leader, General Assimi Goïta, claimed the security situation remains under control. Speaking publicly for the first time on Tuesday evening, Goïta stated that the army had dealt a 'violent blow' to the attackers, as reported by the BBC.
The United Kingdom has issued similar instructions to its citizens. The UK foreign office advised against all travel to Mali due to 'unpredictable security conditions.'
British citizens currently in Mali have been told to leave 'immediately by commercial flight if you judge it safe to do so,' the BBC reported. The UK government also warned against traveling by land to neighboring countries, citing the high risk of terrorist attacks along national highways.
