00:00Mali's foreign minister, Abdullahi Diop, has rejected claims that Islamic militants are close to seizing the capital, Bamako, calling such fears far-fetched.
00:10Speaking at the Bamax 25 Defence Expo on Wednesday, Diop said the government has largely contained the effect of a fuel blockade announced in September by the al-Qaeda-linked group.
00:22The blockade caused long queues at petrol stations and temporary school closures.
00:27His comments come as several Western nations, including the U.S., France, Britain and Italy, urged their citizens to leave Mali amid growing security concerns.
00:39The African Union has also called for an international response to the crisis.
00:44Diop criticized those warnings as exaggerated and said Mali remains safe and open to foreigners.
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