London, Apr 1 (IANS): The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has urged its all nationals in Mali to leave the west African country immediately following security concerns.

Issuing an emergency warning, the FCO on its website Saturday advised "against all travel to Mali" and called for Britons "to leave Mali if you have no pressing need to remain," Xinhua reported.

British nationals still in the capital city Bamako were urged to "exercise caution and stay away from crowds and demonstrations when travelling around the city."

The notice said that the British Embassy in Bamako city in the south of the land-locked nation had been re-opened following a temporary suspension of operations as a result of a coup d'etat March 21.

Foreign tourists had been evacuated from Tombouctu, one of Mali's principal cities, but the FCO said "we believe that further kidnap attempts are likely".

There had been reports of shops beginning to run low on supplies and of long queues forming outside banks, said the statement.