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Radisson hotel attack meant to destabilize Mali, create fear: expert

Xinhua, November 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

The attack and hostage-taking at a hotel in the Malian capital Bamako last week aimed to destabilize the country and create fears among the people, an expert said on Tuesday.

"The attack at Radisson hotel did not just directly target the French, or Americans or even the other affected foreigners, but it was meant to destabilize Mali and create fear among the population," Ousmane Kornio, an expert on conflict prevention in the Sahel region told Xinhua in an interview.

All Malians who spoke to Xinhua condemned the attack on the hotel, terming it as an atrocious and criminal act.

"These terrorists killed innocent people. Mali and our friends who came to visit us did not deserve to be subjected to such odious crimes," one of them said.

In Bamako streets, the population have however reacted calmly to the attack at Radisson Blu hotel.

Issa Diakite, a Malian who works at night, told Xinhua that the attack had not changed his working pattern. He affirmed that he still went out on Friday and Saturday night, although the bar owner suspended the routine performance by a music band.

Similarly for Abdoulaye Fama Coulibaly, a teacher, the attack did not change the lifestyle in the Malian capital.

He noted that he had observed the same large movements of people on Monday morning as always. "Yesterday on Sunday, I was at the Town Hall of the Bamako district and there were marriages being celebrated as always," he said.

The West African nation began on Monday a three-day national mourning following the terrorist attack last Friday at Radisson Blu hotel that left more than 20 people dead, among them two terrorists.

During the mourning period, flags are flown at half-mast across the entire national territory.

The 10-day state of emergency declared last Friday by President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is still ongoing to allow the authorities to reinforce legal means and expand the scope of intervention by the defense and security forces.

Other neighbouring countries that include Mauritania, Senegal and Guinea, have declared three days of national mourning in solidarity with the Malian people. Endit