Following the Friday suicide bombing in Mali, the United States called the security situation there fragile, and encouraged political and democratic efforts to move forward. In response to questions concerning the bombing in the town of Gao, State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters that such incidents “speak to the continuing fragility of the security situation in Mali." “It also speaks to the vital importance of the political process, the democratic process moving forward," Nuland added. “The Malian have now agreed to try to hold elections in July, assuming that security allows, and we as an international community have to support them in that effort."
