Türkiye and the United States advise their citizens against travel to Mali
The Turkish Foreign Ministry advised Turkish citizens to avoid travel to Mali except in essential cases, adding that the security situation is sensitive in the wake of recent developments in the country.
In a statement issued Friday, the ministry advised Turkish citizens permanently residing in Mali or temporarily there to exercise extreme caution and adhere to the instructions and directives of local authorities, adding that its recommended to follow subsequent statements and updates regarding the evolving situation via the official website and social media accounts of the embassy in Bamako.
In the same context, the US State Department maintained its travel warning for Mali at Level 4, meaning “donэt travel”.
In a statement issued Friday, the US State Department authorized the departure of “non-essential government employees and their family members from Mali due to safety risks” in the West African country.
The statement indicated that the US government cannot provide routine or emergency services to US citizens outside of Bamako due to safety risks.
These warnings come weeks after two Emiratis and an Iranian were kidnapped by unknown gunmen while the three were on a farm owned by one of them near the capital, Bamako.
For weeks, some Malian regions have witnessed an escalation in the frequency of mutual attacks between the Malian army and members of armed groups, in light of the latter imposing a siege on cities and road links, with the aim of preventing the entry of fuel supplies coming from neighboring countries.
