Mali Rejects Talks With Jihadists Amid Regional Spillover Fears
A soldier stands next to a damaged Mi-24 helicopter at the former Africa Corps barracks at Camp 2 in Kidal on May 6,.
Source: AFP/Getty ImagesMali’s junta ruled out any negotiations with Islamist-militant groups and reaffirmed a hardline stance on security, as regional leaders warn that escalating violence in the Sahel region risks spreading.
The West African nation has “no intention of negotiating with jihadists” and “rejects any form of dialog with armed groups,” Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop told diplomats in the capital, Bamako, on Thursday.