Mali News

Dread of sharia haunts Malian town besieged by jihadists

By AFP

Mopti - With a trembling finger, Amadou Koita points to the square where he was lashed 30 times in public.For several months, this remote town in central Mali was occupied by jihadist rebels who have unleashed a spiral of violence in the region.

More than 20 Tuaregs killed in Mali: sources

By AFP

Bamako - More than 20 Tuareg civilians were killed late last week in Mali's restive frontier with Niger, security sources told AFP on Monday.

Twenty-seven killed in clashes within tribe in Mali

By AFP

Bamako - Twenty-seven people were killed in clashes between members of the same Tuareg tribe in Mali's troubled northeast earlier this week, the West African state's security ministry said Thursday.

Seven soldiers, one civilian killed in Mali bomb blast

By AFP

Bamako - Seven soldiers and a civilian driver were killed in central Mali when their vehicle hit explosives in the latest attack in an area riven by jihadist violence, the defence ministry said Thursday.

Father of boy saved by Paris 'Spiderman' convicted for negligence

By AFP

Paris - The father of the little boy who was rescued dangling from a fourth-storey Paris balcony by a Malian migrant dubbed Spiderman received a three-month suspended jail sentence Tuesday for leaving the child home alone.

Mali elections delayed by a month

By AFP

Bamako - The Malian government on Thursday delayed by a month legislative elections initially scheduled for October 28, citing delays in registering candidates.

'Spiderman' migrant hero becomes French citizen

By AFP

Paris - The migrant hero nicknamed "Spiderman" for saving a child hanging off a balcony by scaling a Paris apartment block with his bare hands has become a French citizen, according to a government decree.

Mali's GSIM added to US 'foreign terrorist' list

By AFP

Washington - The United States on Wednesday added the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), a fusion of three Malian jihadist groups allied to Al-Qaeda, to its list of "foreign terrorist organizations.

Thousands turn out in show of support for Mali leader

By AFP

Bamako - Thousands of supporters of Mali's leader Ibrahim Boubacar Keita marched through the capital Sunday, a day after opponents held a protest against his re-election in a disputed presidential run-off.

UN extends sanctions regime in Mali

By AFP

New York - The UN Security Council extended for a year Thursday a general sanctions regime against Mali, but stopped short of imposing individual sanctions against leaders of armed groups accused of violating a 2015 peace accord.

Mali opposition leader 'categorically rejects' election result

By AFP

Bamako - The main opposition candidate in Mali's contested election said on Thursday that he "categorically rejects" the results of the presidential run-off that handed a second term to Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Mali's top court declares Keita president after contested vote

By AFP

Bamako - Mali's Constitutional Court on Monday declared Ibrahim Boubacar Keita president after the 73-year-old incumbent won elections that his opponent, former minister Soumaila Cisse, said were marred by fraud.

Mali's top court declares Keita president after contested vote

By AFP

UN chief urges Mali's leaders 'not to go backwards' in election row

By AFP

New York - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has spoken by phone with Mali's leaders to urge them "not to go backwards" following contentious elections in the strife-torn West African country, a spokesman said Thursday.

17,000 displaced by conflict in western Niger: UN

By AFP

Niamey - More than 17,000 people have been displaced by violence in western Niger's Tillaberi region, which has been hit by jihadist incursions from neighbouring Mali, the United Nations said Thursday.

Keita re-elected Mali president by a landslide

By AFP

Bamako - Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been elected for a second five-year term after winning a runoff ballot by a landslide, according to official figures released Thursday.

Keita re-elected Mali president with landslide

By AFP

Bamako - Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been re-elected for a five-year term after winning 67.17 percent of the vote in a runoff, the government announced on Thursday.

Mali counts votes after poll worker slain

By AFP

Bamako - Vote counting was under way across Mali on Monday after a tense presidential runoff in which a poll worker was killed and 100 polling stations were forced to close due to the security threat from Islamist militants.

Mali in presidential runoff overshadowed by security crisis

By AFP

Bamako - Malians were called to the ballot box on Sunday for a presidential runoff likely to see Ibrahim Boubacar Keita return to office despite criticism of his handling of the country's security crisis.

Mali's 'Highway of Death' highlights jihadist peril

By AFP

Doro - "Hotspot ahead!"The curt message comes over the radio, warning troops aboard the eight-vehicle UN peacekeeping convoy to check their weapons one more time and go on maximum alert.

'Attacks' plot foiled on eve of crucial Mali vote

By AFP

Bamako - Mali's security services said Saturday they had disrupted a plot to carry out "targeted attacks" in the capital Bamako on the eve of a runoff in a presidential election marred by security breaches.

Mali's Keita on track for second term in election runoff

By AFP

Bamako - Malians vote on Sunday in a presidential runoff expected to return Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to the helm of a country battling jihadist violence and ethnic attacks.

Mali security forces accused of killing civilians: UN report

By AFP

New York - Mali's security forces are facing allegations of killing civilians, dozens of whom were summarily executed during recent operations against Islamist militias, according to a UN report seen by AFP on Thursday.

Mali opposition not united for runoff presidential vote

By AFP

Bamako - Opposition candidates who fell short in Mali's presidential election have refused to back either of the frontrunners who will contest a runoff vote on Sunday.

Canadian UN peacekeepers return to Africa after 24 years

By AFP

Gao - Soaring over the Niger river before entering the savannah in northern Mali, a Canadian twin-engined military helicopter is making one of its first forays into the country.

Mali opposition protests, EU calls for transparency ahead of poll

By AFP

Bamako - After the first round of Mali's presidential election was marred by violence and accusations of fraud, EU observers on Tuesday called for more transparency and access during Sunday's run-off.

Mali President Keita to face Cisse in repeat of 2013 run-off vote

By AFP

Bamako - Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita will face opposition figure Soumaila Cisse in a run-off vote on August 12 after neither secured more than 50 percent in the first round of the presidential election, an official said late Thursday.

Mali election second round between incumbent and opposition chief: official

By AFP

Bamako - Incumbent Ibrahim Boubacar Keita will face opposition figure Soumaila Cisse in the second round of Mali's presidential election on August 12, an official announced on Thursday.In Sunday's first round Keita won 41.

Candidates in Mali poll to contest 'irregular' results

By AFP

Bamako - A majority of the contenders to become Mali's next president said on Wednesday they will not accept election results "marred by irregularities" ahead of an official verdict expected on Friday.

Canada launches peacekeeping mission in Mali

By AFP

Gao - Canadian armed forces officially launched their peacekeeping mission in restive northern Mali Tuesday, marking Ottawa's return to the blue helmets after more than a decade.