In Mali, anxiety is at an all-time high as families await news about three Indian men kidnapped from a cement factory last week. The Indian foreign ministry confirmed that these individuals were "forcibly taken" by armed assailants linked to a violent group. The men were employed at the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes, and their families have reported a troubling lack of information regarding their safety.
While the Mali government remains silent on the matter, reports indicate that the abduction coincided with attacks led by the armed group, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), is associated with al-Qaeda, which has intensified its operations in the region. Currently, about 400 Indians live in Mali, which has been a trading partner to India since the '90s.
The kidnapping follows a series of unrest as five other Indians were abducted in neighboring Niger earlier this year. As Mali grapples with an ongoing insurgency exacerbated by fundamentalist groups, families are feeling increasingly nervous. The Indian government has advised citizens in Mali to stay alert, secure in communication with their local embassy, while the cement company has failed to comment on the incident.
Amidst the panic, the families of the kidnapped men remain distraught. Venkatramana’s mother expressed her helplessness, recalling their last conversation just days before his abduction. In a show of support, former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has publicly urged Indian officials to intervene urgently for a safe return. The families of the other kidnapees echo this desperation, hoping every day for good news against the backdrop of escalating violence in the region.
With many lives entangled in this heart-wrenching situation, the global community watches closely as efforts to secure their release unfold.
