All staff at Mali's Indian Embassy safe, Indians advised to return home: Ambassador
Aug 19, 2020
New Delhi [India], Aug 19 : All staff at the Indian Embassy in Mali is safe and Indian nationals have been advised to return home immediately and be vigilant in view of the situation in the African country, Indian Ambassador to Mali Anjani Kumar Sahay said on Wednesday.
Early today, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced that he is resigning from his post and said he does not wish to see bloodshed following a mutiny in Bamako, Al Jazeera reported.
"We asked colleagues to return to their homes at the first indication of disturbance. All embassy colleagues are safe. We have advised Indians to return home. We are in touch with the Indians, advised them to be vigilant and not step out from their homes," Sahay told ANI.
He said that the Indian community is safe and they are not under attack.
"We have subsequently briefed there is nothing to suggest that Indians in general or any other community are under attack. Things have happened without any major violence," Sahay added.
The unrest in Mali's capital followed reports of a mutiny on Tuesday morning at a military camp located 15 kilometres outside of the city, CNN quoted a diplomatic source who had been briefed by local officials.
Military officers who organised the mutiny announced the closure of all borders of the country and the imposition of a curfew, Sputnik reported.
"Starting today, August 19, all air and ground borders will be closed until further notice, and a curfew will be imposed from 21:00 to 05:00," a spokesperson for the mutineers said on ORTM 1 television channel.
According to CNN, the mutiny took place in Kati, at the same camp that a successful military coup was launched back in 2012.
Keita had been facing growing public discontent since May after the country's top constitutional court overturned results from disputed parliamentary elections.
