On 6 January 2021, the U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a Demonstration Alert regarding a protest planned for 8 January, which reads in part as follows:

“Location: Bourse du Travail to Monument de l’Indépendance

“Event: The Collective for the Defense of the Republic (CDR) is calling for a march on Friday, January 8, at 2:00 p.m. The purpose of the march is to demand the release of activist Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, also known as Ras Bath. The march is expected to start at the Bourse du Travail and end at the Monument de l’Indépendance. This march has not been approved by the host government.

“Demonstrations sometimes turn violent, resulting in the burning of tires, clashes with the police, blockage on the roads and bridges, throwing of rocks at vehicles, the deployment of tear gas, and small arms fire.”

The full text of the alert is available here.