A major international mining conference - JMP ‘15 - ended on Thursday in Mali's capital, Bamako and there has been some concern that delegates have been caught up in the hostage situation at the Radisson Blu hotel.
One of the group's organising the conference - AMETrade UK Limited - has issued a statement to say that most delegates and clients had left Bamako before the attack.
But adds that “as the situation is very fluid and on-going, it is impossible to make any categorical statements as to whom or where the hostages are”.