The siege appeared to be over by late afternoon on Friday.Citizens of many countries, including the United States, were among the hotel’s guests.It is still unclear who was responsible for the attack. Al Mourabitoun, a militant Islamist organization, has claimed responsibility.It is not known whether the assault on the hotel was connected in any way with the attacks in Paris last week.
Continuing unrest and doubts about security in northern Mali have devastated the country’s floundering tourism industry. About 142,000 international travelers visited the country in 2013, a drop from 160,000 in 2011, according to data kept by the World Bank.
Months before Friday’s attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, the rise of violent extremism caused some Western governments to issue travel warnings.
“Terrorist groups have increased their rhetoric calling for additional attacks or kidnapping attempts on westerners and others, particularly those linked to support for international military intervention,” the U.S. Department of State said in May.
France has listed the northern part of the country in its so-called red zone, or places where it encourages citizens not to travel, since shortly after the government was overthrown in 2012.
Regarding the Bamako area, the French government has issued regular warnings to its citizens concerning past attacks and kidnappings in the region.
People from several nations — including the United States, India, Germany, Belgium, Algeria, France and China — are believed to have been taken hostage inside the hotel.
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