Motorcycles line up near a closed petrol station, amid ongoing fuel shortages caused by a blockade imposed by al Qaeda-linked insurgents in early September
Credit: Reuters Photo
The Indian embassy on Monday took cognisance of reports where five Indian nationals were abducted in Mali last week. The mission called it an 'unfortunate incident' and said they are trying to get the kidnapped persons freed as soon as possible.
The kidnapping took place on November 6 in the West African nation, the mission said in an X post.
"The Embassy is aware of the unfortunate incident of kidnapping of five of our nationals in Mali on 6 Nov 2025," it said.
The embassy has been "working closely with the authorities and the company concerned to secure their safe release as quickly as possible," it added.
Mali has been plagued with security issues since September. The African Union has now called for an urgent international response, including intelligence-sharing, to address worsening security conditions in Mali, where insurgents are imposing a fuel blockade and kidnapping foreigners.
An Al Qaeda-linked jihadist group active in West Africa's Sahel region has blocked fuel imports since September, attacking convoys of tankers and creating a shortage that forced schools and businesses to shut.