When Marin Petrović arrived in Bamako in early September last year, he was elated. The Bosnian national had spent years applying for tourist visas to Mali, only to be repeatedly denied on security grounds.
The West African country has long been afflicted by civil war, foreign military interventions, and Islamist insurgencies.
"Now it was finally approved and I couldn't wait to start this trip," he wrote in Bosnian in a public Instagram post on 15 November 2025.
Petrović declined to speak to the BBC for this article.
The plan was to visit some of the country's dramatic landmarks, before returning home. In Bamako, Petrović enjoyed the sights and sounds of markets, busy roads, schools, and even sampled some local beers, according to the post.
