Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, has rejected claims that jihadist groups are poised to capture the capital, Bamako, describing such reports as exaggerated and detached from reality. His remarks mark the government’s first detailed response to growing international alarm over the country’s security situation.
The landlocked West African nation has been grappling with a long-running insurgency led by al-Qaeda-affiliated militants. In September, the jihadist coalition Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) declared what it called a “fuel blockade,” which triggered long queues at petrol stations and temporarily shut down schools in Bamako.
The latest escalation by JNIM has prompted fears abroad that the militants could attempt to extend their influence to the capital. The African Union (AU) on Sunday called for an “urgent international response” to the deteriorating security conditions, while several Western governments, including the United States, France, Britain, and Italy, advised their citizens to leave Mali.
However, in contrast to such warnings, many schools in Bamako have reopened this week, and the city is currently hosting a defence exhibition featuring several Turkish defence companies.
Speaking at a press conference during the exhibition on Wednesday, Diop dismissed speculation about an imminent jihadist advance.
“We are very far from the scenario being described to you outside our country, saying that the terrorists are here, they are in Bamako, they are going to take this, that,” he said. “We are not at all in that scenario.”
He added that those predicting the fall of the capital “need to wake up from their dreams.”
Diop said Mali’s security forces had effectively mitigated the effects of the blockade and remained fully capable of defending the nation. He claimed the militants’ true objective was to stoke unrest and undermine the military-led government, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021.
The minister also criticised the African Union’s call for an international intervention, saying it reflected a “poor understanding of the realities on the ground.”
“We respect the choice of certain countries that have asked their nationals to leave,” he added, “but Mali remains open and welcoming to foreigners.”
Mali, alongside Niger and Burkina Faso, has recently withdrawn from ECOWAS, distanced itself from Western partners, and strengthened military cooperation with Russia.
Despite the ongoing tensions, Diop said relations with the United States were showing signs of improvement under the Trump administration, noting that both countries were engaged in “dialogue” over security and economic cooperation, though he declined to elaborate.
