BAMAKO — Mali’s government has reaffirmed its security strategy following a series of coordinated insurgent attacks across the country, with the foreign minister telling ambassadors that the response is holistic and extends far beyond military action.
Speaking during a meeting with diplomats accredited to Mali in Bamako, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop defended the country’s approach and said the fight led by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) aims to protect collective security well beyond the Sahel region.
“This struggle in which the AES confederation is engaged is being carried out for collective security. I would even say for collective security far beyond the Sahel region,” Diop told the gathering.
The meeting followed a wave of attacks on April 25 that demonstrated the ability of armed groups to launch coordinated assaults across multiple locations in Mali. The violence has triggered renewed fighting across the country’s north and intensified concerns about instability spreading beyond the Sahel.
Diop emphasized that the government’s response is not limited to security measures. “Of course, our response is not solely security based. It is holistic and includes political dimensions, geopolitical dimensions, social dimensions, but also development,” he said.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have all faced insurgencies for more than a decade. The three military-led governments withdrew from the regional bloc ECOWAS and formed the Alliance of Sahel States, promising closer security cooperation.
At the Bamako meeting, Morocco’s ambassador to Mali, Driss Isbayene, reiterated Rabat’s support for the country.
“We remain ready to support Mali so that it may fully restore its sovereignty over all of its territory and so that peace, security, and stability may prevail in Mali and throughout the region,” Isbayene said.
Analysts note that the recent attacks highlight the persistent security challenges facing the Sahel, despite intensified military operations by regional governments.
