BAMAKO, Mali (AFP) — The Malian government on Wednesday declared a state of emergency, a day after an attack in the centre of the country left 17 soldiers dead and 35 wounded.
In a statement, the government said a period of national mourning would begin on Thursday “in homage to the victims of the terrorist attack” in Nampala, and that the state of emergency would last “for a duration of 10 days”.
In the hours after Tuesday’s assaults two groups — one jihadist, the other ethnic — both claimed to have carried out the raid on the military camp.
A state of emergency had previously been in place in Mali from April this year to July 15. Until Wednesday however, it had not been renewed.
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