File Photo: Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesperson of Egypt's Foreign Ministry. Photo : Al-Ahram
In televised remarks to the program Hadith Al-Qahera (Cairo Talk) on Al-Qahera Wal Nas TV, Khalaf stressed that “as of Monday afternoon, there has been no contact whatsoever with the kidnappers or the abductees, and therefore any circulating information in this regard is inaccurate.”
According to information received from the Egyptian Embassy in Mali, Khalaf confirmed that the kidnapping took place outside Bamako and involved three Egyptian citizens.
Egypt’s ambassador in Mali, he added, is holding high-level contacts with Malian authorities and has reached out to the families of the abducted nationals to assure them that all possible efforts are being exerted to secure their release.
He further noted that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with his Malian counterpart on Monday, during which he emphasized the need to provide maximum protection and security for Egyptian citizens residing in Mali.
He emphasized that the Foreign Ministry maintains constant contact with the Malian authorities, who have committed to thoroughly investigating the incident.
The Foreign Ministry and the Egyptian Embassy in Mali have also received several calls from citizens seeking updates and guidance on the unrest in the country, though no evacuation requests have yet been filed.
Khalaf added that the Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in Mali and the conditions of Egyptian nationals residing there.
He explained that the Egyptian community in Mali is estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 people, urging them to stay within the capital and limit their movements.
Most of them, he said, work for Egyptian construction companies operating in African countries, while a smaller number are students.
The spokesperson added that the Egyptian Embassy in Mali has provided a 24-hour hotline for communication, in addition to the hotline operated by the Consular Affairs Sector at the Ministry.
On Sunday, the foreign ministry issued a travel warning advising Egyptians not to travel to Mali after the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, known by its Arabic acronym Jama'a Nusrat Ul-Islam wa Al-Muslimin (JNIM), claimed responsibility for the abduction.
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