Malian workers haul out a boat they use to carry sand collected from the river bed during a routine maintenance on October 7, 2018, in the port of Bamako. Increasing construction in the Malian capital has boosted the demand for bricks made out of high-quality Niger River sand. (Photo by Michele Cattani/AFP Photo)

French army deminers secure a helicopter in a hangar at the Gao airport, on February 9, 2013. Two Malian soldiers and four civilians have already been killed by landmines, and French troops are still fighting off what Paris called “residual jihadists” in reclaimed territory. (Photo by Pascal Guyot/AFP Photo via The Atlantic)

Mali supporters cheer ahead of the Group F Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football match between Mali and Mauritania at Stade de Japoma in Douala on January 20, 2022. (Photo by Charly Triballeau/AFP Photo)

West Berliners crowd in front of the Berlin Wall as they watch East German border guards demolish a section of the wall on November 11, 1989. (Photo by Gerard Malie/AFP Photo)

A model wears a bazin dress made by designer Fadi Maiga in Bamako, Mali, October 21, 2015. Gasps of delight filled the convention hall as models, decked out in Mali's signature bazin fabric in crimson reds, indigoes and neon greens, strutted the catwalk while musicians from across the West African nation provided the soundtrack. (Photo by Joe Penney/Reuters)

Timbuktu: A UN peacekeeper from Burkina Faso stands guard at the Djinguereber mosque, built in the 14th century, during a visit by a UN delegation on election day in Timbuktu, Mali, July 28, 2013. (Photo by Joe Penney/Reuters)

Santiago Eneme (second left) and his Equatorial Guinea teammates can’t watch during their last 16 penalty shoot-out with Mali, although they did go on to win at Limbe Omnisport Stadium in Limbe, Cameroon on January 26, 2022. (Photo by Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters)

A female hippopotamus named “Mali”, which means Jasmine, eats fruits arranged to look like a cake during her 50th birthday celebration at Dusit Zoo in Bangkok, Thailand September 23, 2016. (Photo by Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters)