France urges citizens to leave Mali after rebel attacks

France has urged its citizens to leave Mali "as soon as possible", after a weekend of co-ordinated attacks by separatist fighters and Islamist militants.

In an update on Wednesday, the advice also warned French citizens not to travel to the West African nation, describing the situation as "extremely volatile".

Mali's military leader Gen Assimi Goïta said the security situation in the country was under control.

Speaking in public for the first time on Tuesday evening, he said the army had dealt a "violent blow" to the attackers, and signalled operations were still ongoing.

The foreign ministry of France, Mali's former colonial power, said: "French nationals are advised to make arrangements to leave Mali temporarily as soon as possible on the commercial flights that are still available."

Pending their departure, they should stay at home, limit their movements and follow instructions from local authorities, it said, adding that they should also keep their relatives informed.

"Travel to Mali is still strongly discouraged, regardless of the reason."

The UK has also advised "against all travel to Mali due to the unpredictable security conditions", and asked its citizens to leave.

The travel guidelines - which have been in place since the weekend - told British citizens in Mali to "leave immediately by commercial flight if you judge it safe to do so".

It also warned them not to travel by land to neighbouring countries, deeming it "too dangerous" due to what it called "terrorist attacks along national highways".

"If you choose to remain in Mali, you do so at your own risk. You should have a personal emergency plan that does not rely on the UK government," the foreign office added.

Bamako International Airport is currently open, but travellers have been warned to check the latest information in case of delays or cancellations.

The US embassy in Mali said it was continuing to "closely monitor" the situation, and told citizens to "shelter in place, remain alert... and avoid areas where security operations may be under way".

On Saturday, fighting was reported in Bamako, Kati, home to a major military base outside the capital, as well as in Gao and Kidal in the north, and the central cities of Sevare and Mopti. Clashes reportedly continued into Sunday in Kidal and Kati.

Reports suggest the assault by the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) - which seeks a breakaway ethnic Tuareg state - was primarily focused on northern cities, while the jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) had staged simultaneous attacks on multiple locations across the country.

Mali is currently ruled by a military junta led by Goïta, who first seized power in a coup in 2020, promising to restore security and push back armed groups.

The junta had popular support when it took power, promising to deal with the long-running security crisis prompted by the Tuareg rebellion in the north, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.

UN peacekeepers and French forces deployed to deal with the escalating insurgency left after the junta took over, and the military government hired Russian mercenaries to help tackle the insecurity.

However, the jihadist insurgency has continued and large parts of the north and east of the country remain outside government control.