Mali

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strong diplomatic relations with the Sahel, also based on the precious metal: gold. Concerned countries are: Sudan, Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Mauritania.

A poisonous cocktail of escalating conflict, blockades, increased displacement, and humanitarian funding cuts is pushing people in Mali to the brink. … For years, the epicentre of the crisis in Mali has been in the north and centre of the country. But in the last quarter of 2025, armed incursions have shifted to the south, extending the scope of human suffering.

A shopkeeper has told the BBC how Russian mercenaries fighting jihadists in Mali carried out the cold-blooded murder of two men in front of him and then threatened to chop off his fingers and kill him too. This is one of several similar testimonies collected by the BBC showing the tactics used by the Russian fighters as they waged a brutal counter-insurgency operation against Islamist militants in the West African nation - methods widely condemned by human rights groups.

The ruling military junta, which came to power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, has suspended several media outlets -- particularly foreign ones -- and silenced or imprisoned journalists and other critical voices.

The president of the African Union Commission has expressed “deep concern” over the security situation in Mali and an ongoing jihadist blockade that has impacted civilians, and called for “urgent international action”. Given the situation, France has recommended its citizens leave the country as soon as possible.

The United States warned Americans in Mali on Tuesday to leave the country immediately using commercial flights, as its government comes under increasing pressure from al Qaeda-linked insurgents, who are imposing a fuel blockade.

A trial has opened for Moussa Mara, the former prime minister of Mali, who is currently jailed by the country’s military rulers over visiting political prisoners and expressing solidarity with them online.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have announced they will immediately withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), labelling it an "instrument of neo-colonialist repression". … They accused the ICC of targeting less privileged countries, echoing criticism from Rwanda's President Paul Kagame who has previously accused the ICC of holding an anti-African bias.

Relations between France and Mali have worsened, after France suspended counter-terrorism cooperation and ordered two Malian diplomats to leave Paris. The move came in response to the arrest of a French embassy staff member in Bamako last month. 

In a rare acknowledgement of the seriousness of the situation affecting the landlocked country, Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga said the authorities were trying to improve security on the routes. The blockade - a potentially serious escalation of Mali's long-running jihadist insurgency - is particularly affecting the supply of fuel, which could cripple the country.