Rising Mali violence forces Ivory Coast into emergency border lockdown

According to a statement issued on Thursday, Ivory Coast’s National Security Council (NSC) linked the sudden influx to “attacks against civilians by armed terrorist groups in several areas of southern Mali.”

The council said it has moved swiftly to ensure that those arriving are properly documented, noting that “The National Security Council has instructed its Executive Secretary to take all necessary steps to register these asylum seekers.”

In addition to the humanitarian response, the government has directed the military to increase its presence along the northern frontier.

The NSC added that “the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces has been instructed to take appropriate measures to strengthen security at our country’s northern borders,” signalling heightened concern about potential cross-border infiltration by armed groups.

The refugee influx arrives at a pivotal moment for Côte d’Ivoire, which recently held its presidential election on 25 October 2025 and continues to garner international recognition for its sound economic management.

The country has been widely lauded for maintaining macroeconomic stability and a predictable policy environment that reduces investor risk, strengthening its position as one of West Africa’s most attractive investment destinations.

This momentum has carried into 2025, highlighted by the commissioning of a 3-million-metric-tonne Dangote Cement plant in Attingué.

However, the escalating instability in Mali continues to cast a shadow across the region. The recent surge of refugees is linked to renewed attacks by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the al-Qaeda-affiliated coalition at the heart of Mali’s insurgency.

Formed in 2017 through the merger of several jihadist factions, JNIM has steadily expanded its operations beyond Mali into Burkina Faso, Niger, Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Ivory Coast.

In October, the group carried out its first confirmed attack in Nigeria, killing a soldier and seizing ammunition and cash.

The insurgent group has also sought to pressure Mali’s military authorities by blocking key transport routes from Senegal and Ivory Coast, creating fuel shortages and causing severe economic strain in Bamako.

The latest assault on the town of Loulouni, roughly 50km from the Ivorian border, forced hundreds of residents to flee this week, adding to the humanitarian burden on neighbouring countries.

Ivory Coast, which already hosts about 90,000 refugees from Burkina Faso, now faces additional demands with the arrival of Malian nationals.