Mauritania to west Mali
 

With the state of Libya and Syria and north Niger there aren't so many choices in getting overland to sub-Saharan Africa these days, but that has been made a little more dodgy with the kidnap of a French traveller the other night in the region of Nioro/Diema.

Many travellers go Mori-Mali to avoid the well known aggro and graft at Rosso or Diama border with Mori-Senegal near the coast, but with the recent annoucement by the UN that there will be no intervention in jihadist-held north Mali (where the latest hostage will be taken) until next autumn, it makes Mori-Mali border area risky for the forseeable future. A kidnapping occurred in the same area of Mali in 2009 ( #10 in the full list here). What usually happens is you get spotted in southern Mori (or maybe sooner) then grabbed in Mali, so coming from east Senegal into Kayes ought to be less risky.

Ch

If I was doing this today I think I'd revive the old beach route in Mori - you spend most of the time inside their national park under 'radar' from N'bou to Nouackchott. I strayed in there by accident once and very quickly had 2 military toyotas escorting me to pay the park entrance fee.

Then from Nouakchott go south to the Senegal river and cross to Kayes from Kaedi/Sellebaby (nice route doable in a van in dry season). You can then pop into Senegal from there as many of the old hand Frenchies do.

Or if heading south from Kayes take the old unsealed route to Bafoulable and Kiffa and onwards to Bamako. That should give you a big buffer between recent action spots.

If you get your Burkina Visa beforehand (or do it at the border?) then you could quickly head through Bamako and south through Bougani and onwards to Sikasso and then into the west of Burkina. Thats the safest way I can think of to get to Burkina - he Mori part between Nouakchott and Kayes would be the only part that worried me a little.

I was camped up a few km's from the kidnappings mentioned in 2009, though I didn't know it until a few days later (heard the shooting). They were driving at night which is very unwise. The kidnappers generally want to grab you just as dark arrives to give them a full 10 hours in the dark to get away from the area (best case scenario)?

Situation as of Jan 11
 

Since this afternoon, Mali is war zone:
BBC News - France confirms Mali intervention
All French citizens urged to leave Mali on the travel warnig site of the French foreign office (http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr), I would insert "all Europeans/Americans..":