Five Indian nationals abducted in Mali amid surging unrest by al-Qaeda, Islamic State

Five Indian nationals who were working on electrification projects in Mali have been abducted, said officials on Saturday. The development comes at a time when the west African nation is struggling to control the unrest in the country for which it has blamed al-Qaeda affiliate group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State (IS).

According to officials, the incident took place on Thursday when the five workers were abducted by some gunmen near Kobri. No group so far has taken responsibility for the incident, officials said, while adding that they are trying to find the whereabouts of the five abducted Indian workers.  

“We confirm the kidnapping of five Indian nationals,” a company official told AFP on the condition of anonymity. “The other Indians working for the company have been evacuated to Bamako.”

Mali struggling to contain unrest 

Mali, which is currently ruled by a military junta, has been lately struggling to contain the surging unrest in the country and has blamed the al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for it. Amid the increasing unrest in the country, kidnapping of foreigners have increased there.

In September this year, two Emirati nationals and an Iranian were allegedly abducted by JNIM militants near Mali’s capital Bamako. They were released a week later for a ransom of USD 50 million, though. 

The increasing JNIM menace in Mali

The JNIM has lately been targeting the military junta in Mali, forcing the government to negotiate with it. It has also laid a seize outside the Bamako, triggering panic among the citizens in the capital city. According to media reports, people in Bamako are evening struggling to get essentials, particularly fuel, making the situation desperate for them. 

Reports suggest that the group affiliated with al-Qaeda has killed thousands in Mali since 2017, apart from destroying key infrastructure. Apart from the Mali, the JNIM is also planning to expand its footprints in other west African nations, which can lead to a security threat in the country.