Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents call on Malians to rise up
Multiple security sources said the group had set up checkpoints around the capital and seized a town in the north, while al-Qaeda-linked rebels have called on Malians to rise up against the military-led government and switch to sharia law.
The latest events come just days after Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) launched unprecedented attacks across the country on April 25 in coordination with the Tuareg-dominated rebel group the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
These attacks hit bases across the landlocked African country and near the capital Bamako, killing Mali’s defense minister. The town of Kidal was also captured.
The group, which has threatened to completely blockade Bamako after the attacks, has set up a series of checkpoints on several major arteries leading into the city, five sources told Reuters on Friday.
The FLA also captured the northern town of Tessalit.
“We call on all sincere patriots, without exception, to stand up and unite,” the group said in a rare French-language statement released late Thursday and confirmed by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group. he said.
Although French is the official language for government and business in Mali, JNIM often publishes its statements in Arabic.
The statement called on political parties, soldiers, religious authorities, traditional leaders and “all segments of Malian society” to end the “dictatorship” of the government, which it described as a “terrorist junta”.
The statement said, “It is not enough to overthrow the junta. Together, we must prevent any chaotic vacuum that will drag our nation into total collapse.” It was said.
He called for a “peaceful, responsible and inclusive transition” and the establishment of sharia law.
Mali’s military leaders seized power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. Military leader Assimi Goita said in a televised speech on Tuesday that the situation was under control and vowed to “neutralize” the rebel groups behind the attacks.
A security source said on Friday that militants had set up some form of checkpoint on three roads outside the capital – RN24 in the northwest, RN7 in the south and RN6 in the east. Another security analyst said there were checkpoints on RN5 in the southwest of the capital.
It was not immediately clear how tightly they control the flow of people and goods into and out of the city.
A businessman said that goods were blocked from entering the capital.
Elsewhere, the northern town of Tessalit was captured by the FLA on Friday, six sources told Reuters.
In a video verified by Reuters, militants are seen raising the FLA flag as they pass through Tessalit.
A spokesman for the Malian military did not respond to a request for comment.
