A statement issued by the Malian Foreign Ministry said that a correspondent for the Saudi state-owned channel Alarabiya is linked to the terrorist organisations the government is fighting.

The statement indicated that the correspondent in question entered Mali illegally through terrorist groups.

It added that Mali strongly condemns this Saudi conduct, which could damage relations between the two countries, and stressed that it would not tolerate any state violating its sovereignty.

Malian media outlets said that Saudi Arabia supports terrorism in Africa and that governments should take the necessary international measures.