Attack on presidential residence prompts evacuation of Mali’s Goita

Malian President Assimi Goita has been moved to a secure location at a special forces base following an attack targeting his residence, according to reports.

Radio station RFI, citing sources close to the head of state, said Goita was evacuated on the morning of April 25 from the main presidential residence, which is located within the Kati military base on the outskirts of the capital, Bamako.

The evacuation took place during an attack carried out by militants from radical groups. According to multiple reports, the militants attempted to organise an attack on the residence but failed to breach it.

The incident came amid a broader escalation of violence. Last Saturday, units of radical groups launched coordinated attacks on up to a dozen cities across Mali, including Bamako. Later on April 25, the General Staff of the Malian Armed Forces announced that all of the attacks had been repelled and that the militants had suffered heavy losses.

Fighting continued on April 26, primarily in the northeastern city of Kidal, where armed units of the Azawad Liberation Front — largely made up of Tuaregs — are active.

Mali has experienced two military coups since the summer of 2020. In May 2021, the country’s Constitutional Court appointed Colonel Goita as head of state for a transitional period. In the summer of 2025, the National Transitional Council, which serves as Mali’s legislative body, approved the extension of Goita’s tenure as head of state until at least 2030, with the option to seek re-election thereafter.

By Tamilla Hasanova