Mali’s security situation is still tense a day after Al Qaeda affiliate insurgents, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), attacked a police training academy and other strategic areas around Bamako – the country’s capital yesterday, killing trainees and overrunning a part of the airport.
The attack is seen as a major blow to the ruling military junta of Colonel Assimi Goïta, who on the 64th anniversary of the founding of Mali’s gendarmerie said his army had “considerably weakened armed terrorist groups” in his country.
The Malian government has not confirmed the death toll from yesterday’s attacks but admitted on state television that there had been “some deaths“.
Online videos of the attacks showed several charred bodies and around two dozen bunk beds in tight formations that were burnt.
Flights resumed in Bamako’s main airport this morning, where much of the violence took place after flights were suspended during the attacks.
The United Nations described the timing of the attack as likely symbolic and “indicates that the attack and specific target was likely planned.”
Mali’s army and the Russian Wagner mercenaries had a major battlefield setback in July against the insurgents, and how the population reacts to these events in the coming days will determine whether they will support the regime against the jihadists or start questioning the government’s capacity to protect them.
“In my personal opinion, this is seriously impacting their credibility on the security front”, a diplomat in Bamako said. “We’ll see how the population reacts to these events. Either they will support the regime against the jihadists or start wondering if they have the right protection they deserve.“
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