Another sign of deteriorating security in Mali. France announced this Friday that it would significantly reduce its personnel in the capital Bamako, which is increasingly suffocated by a blockade by jihadists from JNIM (the group supporting Islam and Muslims), which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda. The list of nominations for relevant officials is being finalized this Friday evening.
According to our information, between a quarter and a third of staff (expatriates, not local employees) at embassies and Consulates General are affected. That’s a dozen people. They will take the plane back to France in the coming days. Schools are also affected. There are seven in total, from the smallest buildings (Les Lutins, Les Angelots schools, etc.) to the largest: the French Liberté secondary school in Bamako.
There are fewer and fewer French people in Mali
It’s in a big room from the crisis and support center (CDCS), at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that the decision was taken the day before, in the presence of diplomats, soldiers, intelligence officials and executive representatives.
As France is no longer welcome in Mali (the last remaining soldiers as of 2022), Paris has advised its citizens not to go to Mali. Within five years, half was gone. Only about 4,000 people remain, the majority of whom are dual citizens, and have very strong local ties.
On November 7, Paris asked France to temporarily leave Mali using commercial flights (specifically Corsair, Air France no longer provides connections with Bamako). The additional level – the trigger, as we say in diplomatic jargon – was reached this Friday, after an analysis of the security situation in Mali. On Wednesday, JNIM – which has imposed a blockade on fuel imports – announced that it was strengthening its headquarters in the capital, crippling the landlocked Sahel nation’s economy. Like a shoelace that strangles him more and more every day.
“Extraordinary vigilance”
The trucks appeared to be returning to Bamako in recent days, but the mirage should not last long. The jihadists’ stated goal is to topple President Goïta’s military junta, in power since two consecutive coups in 2020 and 2021. So far, JNIM has not targeted France. If they do, it will be a song that needs to be put to rest immediately: the Islamists have so far demonstrated unprecedented transparency, a diplomatic source said. In short, they do what they say.
There is no doubt for the government to create a panic effect. The situation, according to an expert in the Sahel, does not currently justify the need for emergency measures. But the time has come for “great caution.” At CDCS, whose main mission is to protect the French community around the world (expatriates, tourists, etc.), management is carried out step by step, with an anticipatory logic. “Neither too early nor, most importantly, too late,” is what we like to say at Quai.
If the situation suddenly worsens, successful emergency evacuation (or even military evacuation in the event of absolute danger) can only be achieved if not too many citizens can “get out.” It was in this logic of “stealth” that the French advanced up the ridge line, gradually pushing everyone back.
Because in Mali, nothing is simple. Due to the lack of coastline, no maritime operations – such as in Haiti in 2024 – are possible there. Meanwhile, land routes, especially those leading west to Senegal, are all controlled by JNIM.
