Bamako Curfew Enters Fifth Night; French Nationals Depart on Last Commercial Flights as Refugee Crisis Deepens

On April 30, 2026, Bamako's nightly curfew (9:00 PM – 6:00 AM) entered its fifth consecutive night of enforcement following the April 25 JNIM-FLA nationwide offensive. France's evacuation advisory — issued April 29, urging approximately 7,200 French nationals to depart 'as soon as possible on remaining commercial flights' — remained in full effect, with commercial aviation from Modibo Keïta International Airport operating under heavy demand and constrained availability. Al Jazeera published first-person refugee testimony from Malians who had fled the April 25 attacks and surrounding areas, including survivors from regions near Kati and northern Mali, under the headline 'We saw terrible things.' One survivor quoted described fleeing with family under explosion sounds that 'never stopped.' UNHCR had reported at least 13,000 Malians fled to neighboring countries between October 2025 and April 2026, a figure expected to rise sharply following the coordinated offensive. The Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières both issued statements expressing concern about humanitarian access north of the Niger River, where all major urban centers — Kidal, Tessit, Ménaka's urban core, and the Labbezanga border fort — had changed hands within 72 hours of the offensive. JNIM's 'total siege' declaration from April 28 was causing commercial supply chains to reroute around northern corridors already blockaded by JNIM since 2024. Ghana's suspension of road transport to Mali and the Bamako fuel prices of 940 CFA/liter remained major economic pressure points. The junta's government spokesperson maintained publicly that the 'situation was under control' despite the concurrent evacuations.