Mali

Bamako Breached: JNIM’s Capital Strike Signals Dangerous New Chapter for Mali

Charlie Werb — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 05:05:52 +0000

The attack on Mali’s capital Bamako by Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) marks a sobering milestone in the African country’s ongoing security crisis.

For the first time since 2015, terrorists managed to strike the heart of the capital, challenging the already fragile stability of the region.

How the Attack Unfolded

Over the past two and a half years, JNIM has been noted as creeping closer to Bamako, indicating that the capital’s relative safety from terrorist violence was unlikely to last forever.

Soon after the sound of gunshots and explosions began echoing through the city on the morning of September 17, it was clear that terrorists had reached Bamako. These sounds marked the beginning of an hours-long JNIM assault on the Malian capital — one of the al-Qaeda affiliate’s most audacious and successful attacks to date.

Two locations were attacked almost simultaneously, with clashes first reported at a gendarmerie training school in Faladié. Fighting at the school, which lasted for over three hours, led to a majority of the purported 70 casualties.

A second group of fighters attacked Air Base 101, a government and military facility located on the southern perimeter of the civilian Modibo Keita International Airport in Sénou. Fighting lasted far longer at this base, and while JNIM killed far fewer security forces there, its fighters inflicted significant damage on buildings and planes.

Among the jets confirmed to have been damaged was the government’s Boeing 737, reported to have recently been used by leader Assimi Goïta, in addition to an aircraft used by the World Food Programme and one belonging to Sky Mali.

The images and footage of JNIM fighters freely wandering beside airplanes, as well as inside one of the country’s most strategically important sites, have served as compelling propaganda for the group.

By nightfall, the Malian military had repelled the attack and regained full control of the city. Malian authorities have not yet reported a casualty figure, admitting only that there had been “some” deaths, nor have they confirmed any of the speculated loss of aircraft.

JNIM, known to inflate its claims, reported having killed or wounded over 100 Malian and Russian military personnel, destroyed six military aircraft (including a drone), and disabled several others.

In final statement on Bamako attack, Al-Qaeda in Sahel (JNIM) claims go have killed and wounded over 100 of soldiers, destroyed 6 military aircraft including a drone, while partially disabling four. In addition dozens of military vehicles were burnt along other equipment #Mali https://t.co/9jtF7h8Vdt pic.twitter.com/jcJceC803E

— Paweł Wójcik (@SaladinAlDronni) September 17, 2024

The Attack’s Unique Dimensions

The attack on two such symbolic military sites sent a message to President Goïta. The assault on his former military base and images of a JNIM fighter setting fire to one of his planes underscore that the group has both the capability and desire to strike at Mali’s center of power.

Moreover, strictly attacking military targets, JNIM has again tried to differentiate itself from the junta, which it frequently accuses of killing civilians.

It is also telling that such a large-scale, coordinated attack was successful despite not targeting softer civilian targets.

JNIM’s success says much about the Malian security apparatus’ deficiencies, yet it equally reflects the group’s offensive capabilities, which have grown immeasurably over the past decade. JNIM’s evolution as a fighting force will undoubtedly continue further, much to the detriment of governments and militaries in the region.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect was revealed following the attack when JNIM reported that the operation was conducted by two teams of inghimasi (suicide fighters) from the sub-group Katiba Macina.

Salman al-Bambari, an ethnic Bambara of Bamako’s main ethnic group, headed the first unit that struck the gendarmerie school. Abdul Salam al-Fulani, an ethnic Fulani, one of the most prominent ethnic groups in West Africa, targeted the airport.

Fulani involvement in this attack would not alarm a Bamako resident or a government official, for the ethnic group is often associated with jihadists across the region. Yet footage of al-Bambari’s pre-attack vows being recited in Bambara is far more unprecedented.

This footage of the two commanders is an implicit decision by JNIM to underscore their trans-ethnic makeup, as well as demonstrate that their message can resonate with individuals from any background.

JNIM and Goïta’s Junta: Two Contrasting Fortunes

The attack in Bamako is yet another recent high-profile victory JNIM has been able to claim in Mali, with the group participating in the humiliating defeat of Malian and Russian troops in Tinzaouaten close to the border with Algeria toward the end of July.

While JNIM continues to enjoy great success in Mali, the Goïta administration is facing its most challenging period yet. Despite a range of threats confronting the junta, it is its recent inaction that has arguably done the most to undermine its hold on power.

The fatal defeat at the hands of JNIM and The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP-PSD) in Tinzaouaten came largely as a result of the junta’s underestimation of the resources and manpower required to reestablish control over the area.

The defeat was a significant blow to the junta’s credibility, both domestically and internationally.

Evidence suggests that Goïta has sent another column from Gao to Kidal, from where it is anticipated to eventually head northward toward Tinzaouaten, with last week’s attack further raising the stakes for the military’s operations in northern Mali.

The importance of reclaiming the country’s north is often noted as being underappreciated by those in the West. However, how the junta has focused attention, personnel, and material on military operations against the CSP-DPA in northern Mali has come at a hefty price, with its heavy focus here playing a part in JNIM’s recent successes — including the attack on Bamako.

Malian President Assimi Goita. Photo: Jin Liangkuai /Xinhua via AFP

What Lies Ahead for Mali?

Tough decisions now lie ahead for the political leadership in Bamako.

Another major misstep could prove to be a fatal blow for Goïta, placing even more pressure on the success of Malian and Russian forces should they continue their touted northern incursion toward Tinzaouaten.

Yet a potential victory there will do little to solve the junta’s more existential threat of JNIM. Having now expanded and entrenched itself in the Koulikoro Region surrounding Bamako, the al-Qaeda affiliate will be difficult to displace, particularly if the government continues to deploy the same ineffective counterterrorism measures.

The attack on Bamako symbolizes the past failures of the Malian political leadership in combatting the violent extremist groups present inside its borders.

Unfortunately for the junta, this attack is likely also a look into the future. JNIM is likely to continue encroaching on the territory surrounding Bamako, gradually applying pressure on the capital via similar violent incursions, as well as through attacks on major roads leading to the city.

While the Malian government likely has the capacity to better defend the capital, doing so may come at the cost of protecting other strategically important locations in the country.

JNIM’s growing presence in southern Mali not only endangers Bamako and other major cities and towns, but also Mali’s gold mines, which are overwhelmingly found in the southern regions of Sikasso, Koulikoro, and Kayes.

The junta must now carefully balance these competing aims, for the loss of a town, city, gold mine, or other valuable sites could be the catalyst for yet another regime change.

Charlie Werb is an analyst, writer, and commentator focussing on sub-Saharan African security issues, with a particular emphasis on Islamist extremist groups in the region.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The Defense Post.

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Al-Qaeda-Linked Jihadist Group Claims Rare Attack on Mali Capital

Staff Writer With AFP — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 04:54:07 +0000

An Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Mali’s capital Bamako that saw them temporarily take control of part of the international airport.

Images broadcast on the communication channels of the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) group showed fighters strolling around and firing randomly into the windows of the presidential hangar in the airport complex.

The country’s general staff later said that the attack killed a number of military personnel but did not give a detailed toll.

It confirmed that a gendarmes’ training center and the city’s airport were targeted.

The hangar usually hosts official guests and the head of state of the West African country, which has been under military rule since coups in 2020 and 2021.

One video showed a fighter calmly firing at the engine of an aircraft, while in others thick smoke could be seen rising from the airport and the hangar of the presidential plane.

“This cowardly and treacherous attack caused some loss of human lives on our side,” including some trainee military police, the general staff said in a statement read out on state television, adding that the attack had been repelled.

“This situation was rapidly brought under control,” it said. “The combing of the area is ongoing.”

Details about the surprise attack were scarce throughout the day, after volleys of gunfire interspersed with explosions broke out at around 5:00 am (0500 GMT).

JNIM said on its communication channels that a “special operation” targeted “the military airport and the training centre of the Malian gendarmes in the centre of the Malian capital” at dawn.

It said the attack caused “huge human and material losses and the destruction of several military aircraft.”

Unverified videos circulating on social media showed charred bodies on the ground.

Bamako is normally spared the sort of attacks that occur almost daily in some parts of the West African country.

Jihadists struck a nearby military camp in 2022. In 2016, gunmen attacked a Bamako hotel housing the former European training mission of the Malian army, with no casualties reported among the mission staff.

Heavy Exchanges of Fire

With the flow of information restricted under the ruling junta, details on how Tuesday’s attack was carried out and its results are sketchy.

Heavy exchanges of fire took place early afternoon near the police station controlling access to the civilian airport terminal, security, and airport officials told AFP on condition of anonymity.

An intelligence source said the attackers used rocket launchers.

The firing seemed to have stopped by mid-afternoon, an AFP correspondent said.

Earlier, the army said that the situation was “under control” after what it called a foiled infiltration attempt by “terrorists” into the military police base.

The junta-led authorities generally use the term “terrorists” to describe jihadists and separatists in the north of the country.

“The terrorists have been neutralised. The sweep is continuing,” the army’s chief of staff, General Oumar Diarra, said on state television.

Images broadcast by the public TV channel showed around 20 blindfolded prisoners sitting on the floor with their hands tied.

The army urged the population to remain calm.

Diarra spoke only of “slightly complex infiltration attempts” at the training center, with no mention of the claimed assault on the military airport.

The police training camp is a few minutes from the airport district, where the military facility neighbors the civilian one.

Regional Unrest

Poor and landlocked Mali has since 2012 been ravaged by different factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as by self-declared defense forces and bandits.

The violence has spilled over into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Mali has been ruled by a military junta since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.

Under junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita, Mali broke a long-standing alliance with European partners and former colonial power France, turning instead to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for support.

The military government last year also ordered the withdrawal of the UN stabilization mission, MINUSMA, and in January ended a 2015 peace agreement with separatist groups in the north.

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — the latter two also now under military leadership — formed their own Sahel alliance a year ago, and all pledged to leave the regional bloc ECOWAS.

The worsening security situation in Mali has been compounded by a humanitarian and economic crisis.

The military leaders have pledged to regain control of the entire country.

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Gunmen Attack Police Base in Mali Capital

Staff Writer With AFP — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 10:09:21 +0000

Gunmen attacked a military police base early Tuesday in the Malian capital Bamako where gunfire and explosions were heard and the airport was closed, sources, witnesses and an AFP correspondent said.

“This morning armed men attacked at least one military police base in Bamako. They have not been formally identified,” a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity.Volleys of gunfire interspersed with explosions began at around 5:00 am and black smoke could be seen rising from an area near the airport.”Bamako airport is temporarily closed due to events,” an airport official said without saying how long the closure would last.

A witness said he and other worshippers were stuck in a mosque near the area during early morning prayers.

The French high school Liberte announced it would remain closed “due to external events” and staff at the United Nations mission in Mali received a message urging them to “limit (their) movements until further notice.”

Mali has been ruled by a military junta since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.

A number of armed rebel groups are active in the West African country — including separatists and jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group — but until now the capital has been spared.

After the Malian coup, military juntas also seized power in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Under junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita, Mali broke a long-standing alliance with European partners and former colonial power France, turning instead to Russia and its Wagner mercenary group for support.

The military leaders have pledged to regain control of the entire country.

Their offensive against rebels in the north has given rise to numerous allegations that the army and its Russian allies have committed abuses against civilians since 2022, charges they deny.

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Mali Separatists Say Killed Dozens of Wagner, Government Fighters

Staff Writer With AFP — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 09:06:22 +0000

Separatist rebels in northern Mali said Thursday they killed dozens of fighters from the Russian mercenary group Wagner and government troops near the Algerian border at the end of July.

The Tuareg-led separatists said Thursday they killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers in three days of intense fighting that began on July 25 at a military camp at Tinzaouatene.

About 30 other troops or fighters, either “dead or seriously injured” were airlifted to Kidal, a key northern city, the Strategic Framework for the Defence of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA) alliance said.

It said there were also some charred bodies inside armored vehicles and transport trucks.

Azawad is the generic name for all Tuareg Berber areas, particularly in the northern half of Mali and northern and western Niger. The separatists are fighting for an independent homeland.

The separatist alliance said they had taken seven Wagner and Malian government fighters hostage, and said they had lost nine men in the fighting.

The Al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) also claimed they had attacked a Malian army convoy and allies from Wagner south of Tinzaouatene.

AFP could not corroborate the figures from independent sources. The army and the Wagner group had admitted heavy losses in the region.

Heavy Wagner Losses

Analysts said this was the heaviest loss suffered so far by Wagner in Africa.

The group spearheaded some of the Kremlin’s longest and bloodiest military campaigns in Ukraine until a short-lived rebellion against the Russian government. It is now active in Africa.

The CSP-DPA said it had seized five armored vehicles, five pickup trucks, and several arms.

The Wagner group said the rebels gained the upper hand thanks to a sandstorm, which analysts say would have negated the air support superiority of the Malian forces and their allies.

The separatists on Thursday claimed over 50 civilians of Nigerien, Sudanese, and Chadian origin had been killed in revenge drone attacks by neighboring Burkina Faso.

It warned the Burkina Faso against getting involved “in a fighting that does not concern it”.

The Malian army on Tuesday said it had along with Burkina Faso staged air attacks in the Tinzaouatene region following the fighting.

Malian has admitted it had suffered a “large number” of deaths during fighting in the north last week.

The West African nation’s military leaders who seized power in a 2020 coup have made it a priority to retake all of the country from separatists and jihadist forces linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Under Colonel Assimi Goita, the junta broke off its traditional alliance with former colonial ruler France and turned toward Russia.

After an eight-year lull, hostilities between Mali and the separatists resumed in August 2023. The army’s offensive culminated in the storming of the northern pro-independence stronghold of Kidal in November.

Its capture was widely hailed across Mali as a symbolic success.

But the rebels refused to lay down their arms. Instead, they scattered across the mountainous desert region, with Malian forces in pursuit.

Near Tinzaouatene, the two sides engaged in three days of intense fighting at the end of July on a scale not seen for months.

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Mali Army Admits ‘Large Number’ of Losses in Fighting in North

Staff Writer With AFP — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 04:40:47 +0000

The Malian army on Monday said it suffered a “large number” of deaths during fighting in the north last week, in a rare admission after rebels claimed to have inflicted major losses.

A unit “was encircled by the coalition of terrorist forces” and “fierce fighting began before the arrival of reinforcements,” the army said in a statement read out on national television.

“The exemplary bravery and determination of our soldiers could not avoid a large number of losses in human lives and equipment,” it added.

The armed forces were analyzing the events “to draw all the necessary lessons and readapt their security and stabilization strategy.”

The CSP-DPA alliance, a mainly Tuareg separatist coalition, claimed a major victory over the army and its Russian allies at the weekend following three days of intense combat in Tinzaouatene district near the Algerian border.

No overall toll was available for the army and its Russian allies, but a separatist spokesman shared videos with AFP showing several bodies lying on the ground believed to be from their side.

The Al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) also claimed they had attacked a Malian army convoy and allies from the Russian mercenary group Wagner south of Tinzaouatene.

JNIM said it killed 50 Russians and 10 Malians, although AFP could not verify the claims.

The Wagner group on Monday admitted severe losses during battles with separatist forces in northeastern Mali last week.

Violence by community self-defense and criminal organizations has also rocked Mali since 2012.

The army rarely communicates its losses and pressure from the ruling junta along with armed groups has silenced most independent sources of information in the areas of fighting.

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Mali Separatists Claim Major Victory Over Army, Russian Allies

Staff Writer With AFP — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 07:39:28 +0000

A mainly Tuareg separatist coalition on Sunday claimed a major victory over Mali’s army and its Russian allies following three days of intense fighting in a district on the Algerian border.

“Our forces decisively obliterated these enemy columns on Saturday,” said a statement by Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesman for the CSP-DPA alliance.

“A large amount of equipment and weapons were seized or damaged” and prisoners taken, he added.

The statement said seven separatist fighters were killed and 12 wounded in the fighting in Tinzaouatene district.

The West African nation’s military leaders who seized power in a 2020 coup have made it a priority to retake all of the country from separatist and jihadist forces, particularly in Kidal, a pro-independence bastion in the north.

Large-scale fighting broke out Thursday between the army and separatists in Tinzaouatene, after the army announced it had retaken control of several districts. The district is almost entirely surrounded by Algerian territory and has been at the heart of other battles between separatist forces and the national army over the past decade.

No overall toll was available for the Malian army and its Russian allies, but the separatist spokesman shared videos with AFP showing several bodies lying on the ground believed to be from their side.

In some of the videos, white soldiers are visible among the prisoners.

A local official and a former worker with the UN mission in Kidal told AFP the Malian army had retreated with at least 15 fighters from Russia’s Wagner mercenary group killed or arrested.

‘Dozens’ of Wagner Fighters Killed

Mossa Ag Inzoma, a member of the separatist movement, claimed that “dozens” of Wagner fighters and soldiers had been killed or taken prisoner.

The Al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) in a statement claimed they had attacked a Malian army convoy and Wagner allies south of Tinzaouatene.

That statement was verified by SITE, a US organization that follows radicalized groups.

JNIM said it killed 50 Russians and 10 Malians, although AFP could not verify the claims. Tuareg rebels denied the group’s involvement and accused it of trying to steal the separatists’ spotlight.

The army said its units, which had been on patrol in the Tinzaouatene district for three days, had begun rearguard action between Friday and Saturday.

The army rarely communicates its losses and pressure from the ruling junta along with armed groups has silenced most independent sources of information in the areas of fighting.

Separatist groups lost control of several districts in 2023 after a military offensive that saw junta forces take Kidal.

There have been several accusations of rights abuses of the civilian population by the army and Wagner forces. Malian authorities have denied the allegations.

Violence by jihadist rebels linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as community self-defense and criminal organizations, has also rocked Mali since 2012.

A junta led by Colonel Assimi Goita took power in 2020, citing the civilian government’s inability to stem the unrest, and broke the country’s traditional alliance with former colonial power France in favor of Russia.

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Mali Army Fights Separatists on Algeria Border: Spokesman

Staff Writer With AFP — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:22:49 +0000

Mali troops and their Russian allies on Thursday battled separatist rebels near the border with Algeria, a spokesman for the rebels and a witness told AFP.

The junta that took power in 2020 has made a priority of securing all of the country from separatists and jihadists. It has claimed several victories in recent weeks and on Wednesday launched an offensive on Tinzaouatene, near the border with Algeria.

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesman for the CSP-DPA mainly ethnic Touareg separatist alliance, said that Mali troops and “Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group” had “tried to take possession of Tinzaouatene, the last base of civilians who fled their abuses.”

“We have inflicted many casualties on the Wagner mercenaries and the auxiliaries of the Malian army,” the spokesman added.

The Mali army made no immediate comment, but a military source said the army was “continuing to secure national territory.”

A civilian source speaking from the Algerian side of the border said that firing could be heard in Mali.

Separatist groups lost control of several districts in 2023 after a military offensive that saw junta forces take Kidal, the pro-independence northern bastion and a major target for the government.

There have been several accusations of rights abuses of the civilian population by the army and Wagner forces. Mali authorities have denied the allegations.

Mali has been unsettled by violence by jihadists and criminal groups since 2012. A junta led by Colonel Assimi Goita took power in 2022 and broke the country’s traditional alliance with France, in favor of Russia.

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Suspected Jihadist Attack in Mali Kills More Than 20 Civilians

Staff Writer With AFP — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 12:31:38 +0000

An attack blamed on jihadists in central Mali killed more than 20 civilians on Monday, two local officials said, in the latest killings in the troubled Sahel region.

Mali has for over a decade been ravaged by jihadists and other armed groups, with the center of the West African country becoming a hotbed of violence since 2015.

“At least 21 civilians have been killed” in the village of Djiguibombo, several dozen kilometers (miles) from the town of Bandiagara, an official from the provincial authority said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He attributed the attack to jihadists.

Another provincial authority official, who spoke overnight, said about 20 people had been killed, and the security situation prevented authorities from going to the site.

But a local youth representative said the army had arrived afterward.

Both local authority sources asked not to be identified, given their positions. Since the junta came to power in 2020, information about such incidents is not generally made public.

The attack began before nightfall and “lasted around three hours,” the youth representative said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.

“Twenty people have been killed. More than half are young people. Some victims had their throats cut,” the source said.

“Many inhabitants fled towards Bandiagara. Those who stayed were not even able to bury the dead properly,” he said.

Spiralling Violence

The deteriorated security context, remote locations, and a lack of reliable information mean that attacks often take a long time to confirm.

Mali has since 2012 been plagued by different factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as by self-declared self-defense forces and bandits.

The jihadist violence that started in the north spread to the center of the country in 2015, when Katiba Macina — an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group — was established, led by the Fulani preacher Amadou Kouffa.

Human rights groups regularly denounce widespread impunity for attacks on civilians.

Radical Islamist groups impose pacts on local populations under which they are allowed to go about their business in return for paying a tax, accepting Islamic rules, and not collaborating with the Malian army or other armed groups.

Communities are subject to retaliatory measures in the event of non-compliance.

The violence spilled over into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, with military regimes seizing power in all three countries.

Thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced by the violence.

Since taking power in a 2020 coup, Mali’s military rulers have broken off their anti-jihadist alliance with France and European partners while turning politically and militarily towards Russia.

The junta has enlisted the services of what it presents as Russian military instructors, but who, according to a host of experts and observers, are mercenaries from the private Russian company Wagner.

Bamako regularly claims to have gained the upper hand against the jihadists, as well as separatists in the north.

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21 Die in Niger Attack: Defense Ministry

Staff Writer With AFP — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 07:35:44 +0000

An armed group killed 20 troops and one civilian in jihadist-plagued western Niger on Tuesday, the defense ministry said, announcing three days of national mourning.

“A coalition of terrorist armed groups” attacked security forces near the village of Tassia, leaving “21 martyrs including one civilian” and nine injured, the ministry announced in a statement on national television.

It said “several dozen” of the assailants were killed and that aerial and ground reinforcements were being deployed to track down the rest of the attackers.

Three days of national mourning will begin from Wednesday with flags lowered to half-mast, the ministry said, speaking of the security forces’ “unshakeable determination” to “continue this fight for sovereignty.”

Tassia lies in the Tillaberi region bordering Mali and Burkina Faso, where rebels linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have waged a bloody insurgency for almost a decade.

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Armed Men Kill at Least 18 Civilians in Central Mali: Sources

Staff Writer With AFP — Mon, 27 May 2024 09:30:36 +0000

Suspected jihadists killed at least 18 civilians in central Mali, numerous sources told AFP on Sunday, the latest attack in a region roiled by violence for years.

“The jihadists fired at villagers three kilometers (less than two miles) from Diallassagou. The provisional toll is 18 dead and 21 wounded,” three residents of the village told AFP. A police source and a regional official confirmed the attack but gave the death toll of 19 and blamed “terrorists” and “armed men.”

“We confirm. The terrorists killed civilians in Diallassagou in cold blood,” the police source said, adding “there are 19 dead and 21 wounded. They accuse the civilians of helping the Malian army.”

An elected official in Bandiagara, a town some 60 kilometers from Diallassagou, told AFP on condition of anonymity that “the unidentified armed men killed 19 farmers in their fields. All of the victims are those who have been displaced and have settled in Diallassagou.”

Another Dandiagara official also said that 19 farmers had been killed by unidentified armed men.

In June 2022, more than 130 civilians were killed in the same village, in one of the worst attacks in Mali in recent years that the government blamed on Katiba Macina, a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda. The group denied the allegations.

Mali has since 2012 been plunged into turmoil by independence and Salafist insurgencies in the north.

The center of the country has become a hotbed of violence since 2015, with the emergence of jihadist groups led in particular by the firebrand Fulani preacher Amadou Koufa, who has largely recruited from among his own community.

The violence has spilled over into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Clashes have increased between the Fulani, who are mainly herders, and the Bambara and Dogon, largely farmers, leading to the formation of ethnic self-defense groups.

The deteriorated security context, remote locations, and a lack of reliable information mean that attacks often take a long time to confirm.

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