24 April 2022: Suspected jihadists carried out simultaneous attacks on three military bases in central Mali (BBC News, 24 April 2022). World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Mali has been in turmoil since 2012 when Islamic militants seized large parts of the north of the country. Several years on, Mali is still struggling to contain violence linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated groups. Jihadists are taking advantage of the weak government and the continuing insecurity to carry out operations such as the attacks on military bases." Yonas Dembele continues: "France is pulling its forces out of Mali where they have been fighting militants since 2013 and there are concerns that this move could further destabilize the country and the region. Given that Islamic militants have worked hard to destroy evidence of any Christian presence in Mali, particularly in the north, if the security situation in the region further deteriorates with the exit of France, Christians will be one of the groups likely to suffer most."