Gunmen have reportedly kidnapped five Indian nationals in Mali amid ongoing unrest in the west African country. The group was employed by a company working on electrification projects and were kidnapped near Kobri, media quoted security officials as saying. “We confirm the kidnapping of five Indian nationals,” a company representative. The officials said that other Indians working for the company have been evacuated to Bamako, while no group has so far claimed the abductions.
Mali, ruled by a military junta, has faced years of instability and growing extremist violence. The al-Qaida-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has recently tightened a crippling fuel blockade, worsening an already severe economic crisis.
Kidnappings of foreign nationals are not uncommon in Mali, where repeated coups and jihadist attacks have eroded state control since 2012. In September this year, JNIM fighters had abducted two Emirati citizens and an Iranian near Bamako. They were released last week after a ransom of around USD 50 million was reportedly paid.
While Bamako remains under government control, the prospect of JNIM advancing toward the capital worries many Malians. In areas, it dominates, the group has imposed strict rules, restricting movement and ordering women to wear hijab on public transport.
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