MOSCOW, September 5 (RIA Novosti) - The Foreign Ministry advised Wednesday Russian citizens not to travel to north Mali or neighboring Niger in West Africa, due to a recent surge of violence in the region.
Mali's desert north has recently seen an escalation of insurgent attacks against the military, which the country's government attributes to drug traffickers. Dozens of soldiers have been killed in northern Niger in recent months by gunmen believed to be led by Mali militants.
"The military and political situation in northern Niger and in the north of neighboring Mali has aggravated recently due to the escalation of militant actions on the part of anti-government forces, which largely practice abductions and terrorism," the ministry said in a statement.
"In this regard, the Russian Foreign Ministry recommends that all Russian citizens who intended to visit the region for tourism, business or other purposes, temporarily refrain from traveling to the conflict zone in the north of Mali and Niger," the statement said.
Mamadou Tandja, the president of the Republic of Niger, announced in late August martial law in the uranium-rich north of the country for a term of three months. He said the measure was introduced due to the escalation of violence from Tuareg insurgents, who have killed at least 45 government soldiers since February this year.
Martial law extends the powers of national security bodies in carrying out raids and arrests, primarily among members of the Tuareg-led Niger Movement for Justice, and limits freedom of movement along the country's main transport links.
