Brits are told 'leave Mali immediately' by UK government following widespread violence and security risks

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:22, 29 April 2026 | Updated: 11:26, 29 April 2026 Brits have been told to 'leave Mali immediately' by the UK government following widespread violence and security risks. It comes after a wave of coordinated attacks at the weekend, including in the capital Bamako.  A statement from the Foreign Office says: 'FCDO advises against all travel to the whole of the Mali due to the unpredictable security conditions.  'If you're in Mali, you should leave immediately by commercial flight if you judge it safe to do so. 'Do not try to leave Mali by overland routes to neighbouring countries as this is too dangerous. This is due to terrorist attacks along national highways.' France has also urged its nationals in Mali to leave 'as soon as possible', a travel advice update for the West African country said. The security situation remains volatile and pending their departure, French citizens should stay at home, limit movement and follow instructions from local authorities while keeping relatives informed, the French foreign ministry said.  All travel to Mali is strongly discouraged, the update said. West Africa's al Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-dominated separatist group hit Mali's main army base and the area near Bamako's airport in the attacks on Saturday, while also pushing Russian troops supporting government forces out of the strategic town of Kidal in the north. The leader of Mali's military government vowed on Tuesday to 'neutralize' those responsible. This is a breaking news story, more to follow.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.