Five Indians abducted while working on power projects in Mali.
In a concerning development from West Africa, five Indian nationals have been kidnapped in Mali. Officials confirmed on Saturday that the workers were abducted by armed men near Kobri in the western part of the strife-torn nation.
The incident occurred on Thursday while the Indians were working on local electrification projects. A representative from their firm confirmed the abductions to international news agencies, stating, "We confirm the kidnapping of five Indian nationals."
Following the incident, the company acted swiftly to secure its remaining staff. "The other Indians working for the company have been evacuated to Bamako, the capital," the representative added, highlighting the deteriorating security situation outside major cities.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction. However, suspicions immediately fall on established terror networks active in the region. Mali, currently under military junta rule, has been battling a decade-long insurgency that has seen jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS expand their reach from the arid north into the center of the country.
The security climate in Mali has worsened recently. The Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has intensified attacks and recently imposed a crippling fuel blockade that has choked the nation's economy.
Kidnappings for ransom are unfortunately common in the region, often used by these groups to finance their insurgencies. Just last week, two Emirati citizens and an Iranian national—abducted in September by JNIM fighters near Bamako—were released, reportedly after a substantial ransom was paid.
Mali's military leaders, who seized power vowing to crush the terror threat, have pivoted away from traditional security partners like France and the United States, turning instead to Russia for support. Despite this shift, extremist violence continues to mount, posing severe risks to foreign workers aiding the nation's development.
