Mali’s PM urges public 'not to give in to panic' after Kidal fall

Mali’s Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga has urged the public not to panic after coordinated attacks that hit several locations across the country and triggered reports that Kidal fell to the attackers.

Africanews reported on Tuesday that Maiga visited wounded people in Kati and told citizens not to give in to panic. The visit was part of a broader effort by the government to reassure the public after one of the most serious security setbacks Mali has faced in years.

The attacks targeted multiple places, including Bamako, Kati, Kidal and Sevare. AP described the assault as the largest coordinated attack in Mali in more than a decade, while Reuters reporting said Russian Africa Corps forces withdrew from Kidal after the fighting.

There are still conflicting accounts of what happened in Kidal. Some reports and local officials describe the city as captured by the attackers, while other reporting frames the event as a withdrawal and reported takeover. The exact casualty figures also remain unconfirmed.

The United Nations said it was deeply concerned by the attacks in several locations in Mali and called for the protection of civilians and international support. The violence has added to pressure on the Malian authorities, who are trying to show they remain in control despite the scale of the assault.

Maiga’s public message signals that the government is seeking to contain fear as well as the military fallout. The next key question is whether officials will publish a fuller casualty tally or issue a clearer account of the situation in Kidal.