80 hostages released from Radisson Blu hotel in Mali
Taoiseach says no proposal for Ireland to send troops to Mali or ‘anywhere else
Footage taken by a Chinese tourist purports to show the outside of the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali as a hostage situation is happening. Video: New China TV tages have been freed from the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali’s capital Bamako amid a special forces operation, according to the State broadcaster.
At least three hostages have died in the attack on the luxury hotel where gunmen took 170 people hostage early on Friday morning.
Malian special forces have entered the hotel and about 50 French counter-terrorism officers are en route from Paris to Bamako. A spokesman for the service said they are heading from two different units of special police forces trained for emergency situations.
It is understood the gunmen entered the hotel shouting “Allahu Akbar” — “God is great” in Arabic at 7am on Friday and have moved floor by floor through the building.
The Irish Defence Forces have confirmed that the 10 personnel in Mali are “safe and accounted for”.
A statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs said it had not received any requests for consular assistance from Mali and “there is no suggestion of any Irish affected”. It said that for some time, Irish citizens had been advised not to travel to Mali but added that anyone with concerns should contact the department on 01-4082527.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny indicated on Thursday that the Government was prepared to send additional Irish troops to Mali in order to relieve French soldiers who will be sent to fight Islamic State.
However, Mr Kenny said on Friday there was no proposal for Ireland to send troops to Mali “or indeed anywhere else”.
Speaking at the Global Irish Economic Forum at Dublin Castle, Mr Kenny said there has been no formal request for assistance from Mali or from France.
“Any request that comes before the Minister for Foreign Affairs would be considered by Government. But clearly there are restrictions upon the kind of assistance that Ireland might be able to give, because of our neutrality,” he added.
Mali’s president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has cut short his trip to Chad where he was attending a meeting of regional leaders. The Mali presidency said on Twitter that Mr Keita will be back to Bamako “in the next hours”.
At least two private security guards were injured in the attack which began at 7am, according to the hotel’s head of security.
A spokesman for the United Nations mission in Mali, Oliver Saldago has said there is a large delegation for the Minusma peace process staying at the hotel.
French nationals are among those held in the siege of the hotel, a source close to French president Francois Hollande has said.
The Chinese state news agency Xinhua said at least seven Chinese tourists were among those trapped inside the hotel in Bamako. It has posted on its Twitter page a video clip said to be filmed by one of the hostages.
“We are still awaiting more precise information that’s been checked out. French people are present. The president is following the situation closely,” the presidential source said.
Three of the seven Turkish Airlines staff members caught in the hotel have escaped, a Turkish government official said.
A number of hostages who are able to recite verses of the Qur’an were released on Friday morning.
Monique Kouame Affoue Ekonde, an Ivorian, said she and six other people were escorted out by security forces.
The raid on the Radisson Blu hotel, which lies just west of the city centre near government ministries and diplomatic offices in the former French colony, comes a week after Islamic State militants killed 129 people in Paris.
The identity of the Bamako gunmen, or the group to which they belong, is not known.
The Brussels-based Rezidor Group said it understood that there were two gunmen who had “locked in” 140 guests and 30 employees.
The US Embassy tweeted that it was “aware of an ongoing active shooter operation at the Radisson Hotel,” and instructed its citizens to stay indoors. The French embassy also advised people to take shelter.
An Islamist group claimed responsibility for the death of five people last March in an attack on a restaurant in Bamako that is popular with foreigners.
Following a military coup in 2012, Islamic extremists took control of northern Mali, prompting a French-led military intervention in early 2013. The extremists were scattered from northern towns and cities, though the north remains insecure and militant attacks have extended farther south this year.
In March masked gunmen shot up a Bamako restaurant popular with foreigners, killing five people.
About 1,000 French troops remain in the country. The Netherlands also has troops working with the UN mission in Mali.
According to the Dutch defence ministry, 450 Dutch military personnel are taking part in the mission along with four Apache and three Chinook helicopters. Most of the Dutch force is based in Gao, but there are a few officers at the UN mission headquarters in Bamako.
China’s embassy issued a warning to Chinese businesses and residents to step up safety precautions in the face of “continuous deterioration of security conditions” in Bamako.
China has a long history of providing aid and investment to Mali, particularly in the areas of transport infrastructure, construction and mineral extraction.
Agencies
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