{"id":5852,"date":"2026-02-04T07:08:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T07:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/?p=5852"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:37:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:37:08","slug":"the-2015-siege-of-the-radisson-blu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/the-2015-siege-of-the-radisson-blu\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2015 Siege of the Radisson Blu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-path-to-node=\"1\">It was just after sunrise on November 20, 2015, in Bamako, Mali. The Radisson Blu, a gleaming symbol of modern West Africa and a hub for diplomats, aid workers, and international business travelers, was buzzing with the quiet energy of the breakfast rush. In the lobby, guests were checking their watches, preparing for a day of meetings. Outside, the city was waking up.<\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<p data-path-to-node=\"2\">Then, the peace was shattered by the staccato of gunfire.<\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"3\"><\/h3>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"3\"><b data-path-to-node=\"3\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Morning the World Stopped<\/b><\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"4\">Around 7:00 AM, a vehicle with diplomatic license plates pulled up to the hotel gates. <span class=\"citation-413 citation-end-413\">This was a clever, calculated ruse designed to bypass the heightened security of a city already on edge.<\/span> Two men\u2014later identified as militants from the al-Qaeda-linked group Al-Mourabitoun\u2014leaped out. <span class=\"citation-412 citation-end-412\">They didn&#8217;t just walk in; they stormed the entrance with AK-47s blazing and grenades in hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\">The attackers moved with terrifying efficiency. They bypassed the lobby and headed straight for the upper floors, specifically targeting the 7th floor where many foreign dignitaries stayed. Within minutes, the luxury hotel was transformed into a vertical fortress of fear. <span class=\"citation-411\">Approximately <\/span><span class=\"citation-411\">170 people<\/span><span class=\"citation-411 citation-end-411\">\u2014125 guests and 13 staff members\u2014were suddenly trapped in a nightmare.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"6\"><b data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Siege and the &#8220;Test&#8221;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7\">For the next nine hours, the Radisson Blu became the center of a global tragedy. Survivors recounted harrowing stories of hiding under beds, in bathtubs, or inside industrial kitchen refrigerators.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">One of the most chilling aspects of the attack was the &#8220;test&#8221; the gunmen reportedly used to decide who lived and who died. <span class=\"citation-410\">According to witnesses, some hostages were released\u2014but only if they could recite the <\/span><span class=\"citation-410\">Shahada<\/span><span class=\"citation-410 citation-end-410\"> (the Islamic profession of faith).<\/span> Those who couldn&#8217;t were met with immediate, brutal violence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"9\"><b data-path-to-node=\"9\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">A Multilateral Rescue<\/b><\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10\">As the Malian Army cordoned off the building, they weren&#8217;t alone. <span class=\"citation-409\">In a rare display of rapid international cooperation, <\/span><span class=\"citation-409\">Malian Special Forces<\/span><span class=\"citation-409\"> were joined by <\/span><span class=\"citation-409\">U.S. Special Operations<\/span><span class=\"citation-409\"> and <\/span><span class=\"citation-409\">French GIGN<\/span><span class=\"citation-409 citation-end-409\"> units.<\/span><\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<p data-path-to-node=\"11\"><span class=\"citation-408 citation-end-408\">The rescue was a room-by-room, floor-by-floor clearing operation.<\/span> Soldiers navigated smoke-filled hallways and dodged grenades lobbed down stairwells. <span class=\"citation-407 citation-end-407\">In one notable instance, a group of five U.S. Diplomatic Security Service agents and Department of Defense personnel were among the first to enter, pulling dozens of people to safety before the final assault even began.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"13\"><\/h3>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"13\"><b data-path-to-node=\"13\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Grim Toll<\/b><\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14\">By the time the last shot was fired late that afternoon, the hotel was a shell of its former self.<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"15\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"15,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Total Casualties:<\/b><span class=\"citation-406 citation-end-406\"> 20 hostages were killed, along with the two primary gunmen.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"15,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"><span class=\"citation-405\">The Victims:<\/span><\/b><span class=\"citation-405 citation-end-405\"> The dead represented a microcosm of the international community: six Russians (airline crew), three Chinese executives, a Belgian parliamentarian, an American health worker, and several Malian citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"15,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"15,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Responsibility:<\/b><span class=\"citation-404 citation-end-404\"> Al-Mourabitoun, led by the notorious Mokhtar Belmokhtar, claimed responsibility &#8220;in cooperation with&#8221; Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"16\"><b data-path-to-node=\"16\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Why the Radisson?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"17\">The attack wasn&#8217;t random. It was a strategic strike against the Malian government and its Western allies. By hitting the Radisson, the militants weren&#8217;t just killing people; they were trying to kill Mali\u2019s connection to the outside world, targeting the very individuals\u2014NGO workers, business leaders, and diplomats\u2014who were helping the country rebuild after years of civil unrest.<\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"18\"><\/h3>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"18\"><b data-path-to-node=\"18\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Legacy of November 20<\/b><\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"19\">The Radisson Blu attack changed the security landscape of West Africa forever. It proved that &#8220;soft targets&#8221; like hotels were the new front lines and led to the massive security presence now common in major African hubs.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"20\">Today, the Radisson Blu in Bamako has reopened, its walls patched and its security doubled. But for those who lived through those nine hours, the silence of the lobby is a reminder of the day the world came to a standstill in the heart of Mali.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was just after sunrise on November 20, 2015, in Bamako, Mali. The Radisson Blu, a gleaming symbol of modern [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[182,200],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deep-dives","category-mali"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5852"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5853,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5852\/revisions\/5853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}