Several sources tell Reuters and AFP that the al-Qaeda-affiliated assailants hit two villages in Mopti region on Wednesday. Dozens of people have been killed in attacks reportedly carried out by al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters in central Mali, the deadliest assault since armed groups launched a widespread coordinated assault late last month. According to local, security and administrative sources speaking to the AFP news agency on Thursday, attacks on the villages of Korikori and Gomossogou in the Mopti region killed at least 30 people a day earlier.
Heavy gunfire and explosions have been reported around government buildings and major military installations, signaling a highly organized offensive. The attacks have affected the capital, Bamako, as well as at least three other locations.
Aboubacar Maiga is known for his playmaking ability and has been linked with FC Barcelona. He is part of the Africa Foot academy in Mali, which has a collaboration agreement with Barça.
Abdoulaye Diop, the foreign minister of Mali, hosted a senior US official on Monday to chart a "new course" in relations between the United States and the junta-led nation. Nick Checker, who heads the US State Department's Bureau of African Affairs, reaffirmed Washington's respect for Mali's sovereignty. Ahead of Checker's visit, the bureau posted on X that the United States also looked forward to "consulting with other governments in the region, including Burkina Faso and Niger, on shared security and economic interests."
Mali's military rulers announced the arrest of military and civilian personnel, including two generals and a French agent, accused of attempting to destabilize the country.
