Mali’s capital Bamako boosts security fearing jihadi attacks

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Bamako, Mali’s bustling riverside capital of more than 2.5 million people, is on heightened alert as jihadi attacks have moved perilously close to the city. At least 15 extremist attacks hit Mali in June and July, the most daring when jihadi fighters attacked Kati, the country’s largest military base, just 9 miles outside the capital. The growing insecurity in Mali, a sprawling country of 20 million people, has increased instability in West Africa’s volatile Sahel region. Mali has had two coups since 2020 in which the military has vowed to do more to stop the jihadi violence.