An Al-Qaeda affiliate operating in West Africa has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of three Egyptian nationals in Mali, issuing a $5 million ransom demand for their release.
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which describes itself as Al-Qaeda’s official branch in Mali, confirmed the abductions over several days. Two Egyptians were seized earlier this month, followed by the kidnapping of a third man on the Segou-Bamako road east of the capital. The group identified the latest hostage as a “businessman suspected of cooperating with Bamako authorities.”
JNIM framed the operation as a strike against “supporters of the Russian occupation”—a reference to the Malian government's growing security ties with Moscow, including deployments from the so-called “Africa Corps”, a rebranded arm of Russia’s Wagner Group.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement addressed to the Egyptian community in Mali, said it was closely following the unfolding crisis. It urged Egyptians to follow local laws, carry identification, restrict travel outside Bamako, and exercise extreme caution. Emergency numbers were shared, yet the ministry has not acknowledged the identities of the kidnapped Egyptians or addressed the ransom demand.
Mali has seen a sharp escalation in abductions of foreign nationals, with ransom money believed to be fuelling militant operations.
In recent weeks, five Indian workers were abducted near a power project west of Bamako. Reports also point to the kidnapping of four Chinese nationals in the gold-rich Kayes region since July, and the abduction of an Iranian near the capital in September.
The Egyptian kidnapping is reportedly part of JNIM’s broader campaign to impose an economic siege on Bamako. Road closures orchestrated by the group have triggered fuel shortages, school and university closures, and price hikes of up to 200% for essential goods.
JNIM is reportedly in control of nearly 80% of gold production in the south-western Kayes region. Arson attacks on trucks, highway ambushes, and the kidnapping of drivers have become increasingly common.
The Malian government has not yet issued a statement, but diplomatic sources said they have been alerted and that initial search efforts are underway.
JNIM is designated by the UN Security Council as an affiliate of Al-Qaeda. The group was established in 2017 after the merger of four armed factions: Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Sahara Emirate branch), Al-Mourabitoun, Ansar al-Din, and the Macina Liberation Front.
The group operates across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso and is responsible for a string of high-profile attacks and abductions.
In June 2017, it attacked a resort frequented by foreign tourists near Bamako. On March 2, 2018, it launched coordinated assaults in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.
In September that year, it detonated a landmine under a passenger bus in central Mali, killing 14 civilians and injuring 24.
