Mali car bomb

This item appears on page 16 of the March 2017 issue.

In northeastern Mali, a car bomb struck a military base in the city of Gao on Jan. 19, killing more than 70 soldiers. Under a peace agreement, the base is shared by Mali armed forces and a militia comprised of Tuareg, a nomadic North African people. The two groups were preparing to go on a cooperative patrol when the blast occurred. The Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the bombing. 

During a civil war in Mali in 2012, AQIM and Tuareg rebels took control of much of northern Mali, including Gao. Mali forces, backed by soldiers from France, retook the captured areas in 2013, making peace with the Tuareg groups in the process. 

The US Department of State warns travelers against all travel to Mali because of ongoing terrorist attacks and criminal violence, particularly in northern Mali and parts of central Mali, where violent extremist groups, including AQIM, claimed responsibility for multiple terrorist attacks against foreigners in 2016.