West Africa Security

The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Bamako warned Americans to avoid travel to Mali and for those in-country to depart immediately, citing terrorism, kidnappings, crime and blocked routes as al‑Qaeda–linked JNIM forces surround the capital. The embassy said citizens should leave via commercial flights and avoid overland travel due to attacks along national highways, adding it can rarely provide emergency services outside Bamako; a retired AFRICOM official warned an external operations threat to the U.S. homeland is increasingly likely.