January 9 – The West African nations of the 15-member blocECOWAS suspend diplomatic relations withMali and announce that they are closing their borders with and imposing economic sanctions on Mali in response to an "unacceptable delay" to the country'snext general election.[2]
January 14 –Operation Barkhane: Sweden announces that it will withdraw itstroops from aFrench-led special forces mission inMali later this year, in response to Mali's rulingmilitary junta inviting private Russian military contractors to fightIslamist rebels. The deployment was originally expected to end in 2024.[3]
January 26 – The Malian junta demands thatDenmark withdraw itsforces from the country, saying they were never given authorization to participate in the ongoing European-ledpeacekeeping operations.
January 31 – The Malianmilitary junta orders the French ambassador to leave the country within 72 hours in response to "outrageous comments" made by the French authorities about Mali's transitional government.[5]
February 18 – EightMalian soldiers and 57Islamist militants are killed during a gunfight in the Archam region, after 40 civilians were killed there during terrorist attacks last week.[8]
March 24 – TheUEMOA court orders sanctions againstMali to be suspended. The sanctions were imposed on the junta in January after elections were delayed.[11]
May 21 – An elderly Italian couple and their son arekidnapped byjihadists in SouthernMali. ATogolese citizen is also reported to have been kidnapped along with the Italians, but authorities say that they are unable to confirm if this is true.[16]
June 1 – TwoRed Cross workers are killed in an attack by unknownmilitants inMali.[17] A Jordanian member of theMINUSMA peacekeeping force is also killed and three others are injured inKidal Region.[18]
June 6 – Malian junta leaderAssimi Goïta declares that Mali will return to civilian rule in March 2024. It was supposed to occur this February until being delayed, prompting sanctions from its neighbors.[19]
August 7 – Forty-two soldiers and four civilians are killed during an attack near the town ofTessit byIslamic State in the Greater Sahara gunmen. Twenty-two other soldiers are wounded, and 37 of the attackers are also killed.[26]
August 18 –Mali accuses its former ally France of armingjihadistterrorist groups to destabilize the country. Malian Foreign MinisterAbdoulaye Diop tells the United Nations that French aircraft are violating the country's airspace and dropping "arms and ammunition" to terrorist groups on the ground. France denies the accusations.[29]
Years inMali (1960–present)