Bamako (KAAB TV) – In a formal advisory issued on 7 November 2025, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs instructed all French nationals residing in or travelling through Bamako (and more broadly Mali) to depart the country “as soon as possible” via commercial air travel, explicitly cautioning against travel by road.
The advisory notes that “for several weeks, the security situation has been deteriorating in Mali, including in Bamako.”
It highlights that travel by land is not recommended, because national roads are being targeted by attacks from jihadist or extremist groups.
The French government repeated its strong recommendation against travel to Mali for any reason.
The advisory comes as the Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wa al‑Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group, has imposed a fuel-blockade on tanker convoys entering Mali, threatening the supply of fuel, food, electricity and closing schools in Bamako.
The fuel blockade and escalating attacks by JNIM have contributed to growing fears that Mali’s military junta-run government may be losing control over its territory and the capital’s supply lines.
The advisory signals a significant concern by France over the security environment in Mali and the potential for further escalation of Islamist-linked insurgency.
While the statement does not explicitly say that Islamist groups are “taking over” the country, it implies that the risk of their gaining more influence is serious enough to merit evacuation advice.
There has been no publicly detailed reaction from Mali’s government to the French statement in the sources available.