CNN
1Min
South Africa
Nov 10, 2025
As Mali faces increasing instability from terrorist factions, African Union Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf calls for urgent international action to address growing humanitarian crises and civilian abductions. Read more about the escalating security challenges shaping the Sahel region.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has expressed deep concern over the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Mali.
This comes as reports have indicated that terrorist groups have imposed blockades and disrupted access to essential supplies, which have severely worsened humanitarian conditions for civilian populations.
On Sunday, in a statement by the Commission, Youssouf condemned the deliberate attacks against innocent civilians, which he said have resulted in unacceptable loss of life and heightened instability across affected regions.
The Chairperson’s call for international action against atrocities and extremism comes just as India’s Embassy in Bamako on Monday reported that five of its citizens had been abducted in Mali on November 6.
On X, the embassy stated it is “working closely with Malian authorities and the company concerned to secure their safe release as quickly as possible.
Furthermore, the abduction comes amid escalating instability in Mali, where reports of an Al Qaeda-linked jihadist group are said to be tightening their grip around the capital, Bamako.
CNN has reported that the group, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam al-Muslimin (JNIM), has intensified attacks on highways, fuel convoys, and security forces, threatening to isolate the city from the rest of the country, with further reports of fuel shortages and other humanitarian challenges.
Nuur Mohamud Sheekh, spokesperson for the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, further stated that the Chairperson has reaffirmed his solidarity with the Government and people of Mali, as well as with the families of the victims, and reiterated the African Union’s unwavering commitment to supporting peace, security, and development across the Sahel.
“The Chairperson also strongly condemns the recent kidnappings, including the abduction of three Egyptian nationals, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. Such acts constitute grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” Sheekh stated.
As a result, Sheekh said the chairperson has called for a robust and coordinated response to the challenges in Sahel.
“The Chairperson urges a robust, coordinated, and coherent international response to counter terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel. He calls for enhanced cooperation, intelligence sharing, and sustained support to affected States, in line with the Communiqué of the 1304th ministerial meeting of 30 September 2025,” he added.
