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In January 2016 Asar Dine claimed responsibility for an attack carried out in Kidal which resulted in the death of six UN peacekeepers further undermining an already
fragile peace agreement. In February 2016 northern rebel groups the CMA and the Imghad and Allies Self-Defence Group (GATIA) announced that they had reached an
agreement over security provision in the northern town of Kidal. However, their rivalry has flared up again by mid-year and renewed fighting was observed in July and
September 2016 in the Kidal area, raising concerns as to the potential for a resumption of conflict in the northern desert regions and related political instability.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
We recommend entering key emergency numbers into your mobile phone to have them at hand.
Fire: 18
Police: 17 or 80001115
Gendarmerie: 80001114
Ambulance services are not recommended. Contact International SOS for help with your medical situation.
Country Stability
POLITICAL SITUATION
Since the ousting of military dictator Moussa Traoré in a civilian uprising in 1991, Mali has been a democracy. Political power is concentrated in the hands of the
president. The unicameral parliament is elected every five years. Major political parties include the Alliance for Democracy in Mali (ADEMA), the Patriotic Movement for
Renewal (MPR), Rally for Mali (RPM) and Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD).
Elections due to take place between April and June 2012 were pre-empted by a military coup in March 2012 and the ousting of president Amadou Toumani Touré. The
mutineers, who formed the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDRE), cited the government's failure to tackle an ethnic-Tuareg
insurgency in the north as the reason for their putsch, which elicited widespread condemnation and precipitated the takeover of the northern regions of Kidal, Gao and
Timbuktu by a short-lived coalition of Islamist militants and Tuareg rebels.
Under strong international pressure, the CNRDRE agreed to let Assembly Speaker Dioncounda Traoré lead a one-year transition period from 22 May 2012; however, the
decision triggered protests in Bamako during which Traoré was injured, and sought treatment in France. Upon his return in July 2012, he confirmed Cheikh Modibo Diarra
as prime minister.
However, troops in December detained Diarra just as he was about to travel abroad for medical checks; he was forced to resign along with his government by the junta
responsible for the March coup, after junta leader Capt Amadou Sanogo accused him of acting against the interests of his country. The incident demonstrated the power
wielded by the former junta, despite its formal handover to an interim civilian administration. However, Sanogo was gradually sidelined, especially after the launch of a
French-led military intervention in January 2013 to fight Islamist militants in the northern regions.
Despite concerns over significant logistical difficulties posed, notably, by the displacement of many people by the conflict, a presidential election was successfully held in
July-August 2013. Former finance minister Soumaila Cissé lost to Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in a run-off vote which passed off peacefully, and he conceded defeat
immediately. The polling was considered to be successful as outside observers reported the elections to be free and fair. However, concerns remain as to the restoration
of state authority in northern regions, where ethnic-Tuareg groups continue to demand greater autonomy for majority-Tuareg territories. A controversial constitutional
referendum planned for 9 July was indefinitely postponed after facing popular discontent with the proposed changes, which detractors claimed would give the president
too much power. The next general election is scheduled for July 2018.
RULE OF LAW
The legal system derives from French civil and customary law. The 1992 constitution guarantees judicial independence and constitutional provisions for freedom of
speech, press, assembly, association and religion are generally respected. However, the judicial system is sometimes susceptible to political influence and corruption,
particularly at the lower level; it also lacks infrastructure.
After a period of consolidation of democratic institutions, a coup perpetrated by low- and middle-ranking soldiers in March 2012 has revived the spectre of military
intervention in politics and been accompanied by illegal detentions of political and military officials.
The gendarmerie and local police forces maintain internal security. Personnel should avoid contact with the security forces, except when absolutely necessary. The police
are often corrupt and ineffective, though they are unlikely to pose a risk beyond demands for bribes at checkpoints.
CORRUPTION
Business travellers and expatriates are likely to encounter corruption across almost all sectors of society, from politics and government to business. However, the
situation is not much worse than in other countries in the region.
NATURAL DISASTERS
The Niger and Senegal rivers overflow during the rainy season, resulting in flooding. Bamako sometimes sees flooding between July and October, which can be
particularly disruptive due to defective drainage systems.
RECENT HISTORY
Mali in 1960 gained independence from French colonial rule and established a one-party system. A coup in 1968 ushered in an era of military rule. Another coup in 1991
overthrew the incumbent president, Moussa Traoré, and established a democratic, pluralistic political system.
However, challenging Mali's image as one of the most politically and socially stable countries in Africa, which had already been damaged by the establishment of Islamist
militant bases in the remote, north-eastern Kidal region, disaffected low- and mid-ranking officers in March 2012 launched a coup in Bamako. The move was made in
response to the government's perceived failure to give the military sufficient resources to tackle a nascent ethnic-Tuareg insurgency in the north. The National Movement
for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), demanding independence for a Tuareg homeland (Azawad), in April 2012 seized the regions of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu after
forming an opportunistic alliance with the local Islamist rebel group Ansar Dine.
However, Ansar Dine, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA) quickly sidelined the MNLA, which
subsequently abandoned its demand for independence. The January 2013 seizure by militants of localities in Mopti region prompted President Dioncounda Traoré to
appeal France for help, triggering a French-backed military offensive to stop the militants' southward advance. The unexpected militant surge also triggered the
deployment of a regional military force (MINUSMA). In July-August 2013, and despite significant logistical difficulties, Mali successfully conducted a presidential election
in which Ibrahim Boubacar Keita prevailed over former finance minister Soumaila Cissé, raising prospects for a restoration of stability despite ongoing challenges.
Before You Go

See your doctor and dentist and ensure you are in the best health before you leave. Other preparations:
• Check your routine vaccinations are up to date (polio; varicella; measles, mumps and rubella; tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, seasonal influenza). See a travel
health practitioner 6 to 8 weeks before departure for destination-specific health preparations. You may need additional vaccinations, some of which require
several doses, or be recommended malaria medication which may need to be started a week or more before arriving in the malarial country.
• Documentation: Arrange a copy of your personal health record to carry with you when you travel. Include a letter from your doctor explaining your need for all
medications you are carrying, including any over-the-counter medications, in English and the language of your destination(s). Make sure you have copies of your
prescriptions.
• Medication: Check the regulations of your destination country regarding importation of your medication, as some drugs may be strictly prohibited (especially
narcotics and psychotropics) and may result in severe penalties. Take any medicines you require in their original packaging, including any information leaflets,
with them clearly labelled with your name (matching your passport name), and your doctor’s name. Have enough to cover the trip, and extra in case of delays,
however note that many destinations limit quantities of certain drugs to a 30-day supply. Carry medication in your hand luggage, with copies of your prescriptions.