BAMAKO: At least 21 civilians were killed in an attack blamed on militants in central Mali, two local officials said on Wednesday, in the latest killings in the troubled Sahel region.
The attack targeted the village of Djiguibombo, situated several kilometers from the town of Bandiagara, according to local authorities who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
“At least 21 civilians have been killed,” stated a provincial authority official, attributing the violence to militants who have plagued Mali for years.
Another official from the provincial administration reported a similar death toll, emphasizing the challenging security situation that has hindered immediate verification and response efforts.
Details of the attack indicate it began before nightfall and continued for approximately three hours, leaving a devastating impact on the community. “Twenty-one have been killed, with more than half of them being young persons. Tragically, some victims had their throats cut,” a local youth representative said.
Many residents fled towards Bandiagara for safety, while those who remained were unable to perform proper burials for the deceased.
Mali has been beset by militancy since 2012, when various militant groups began asserting control over northern regions before expanding their influence to the country’s central areas in 2015.
The escalating conflict has spilled over into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, leading to widespread displacement and a humanitarian crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Human rights organizations have consistently condemned the impunity with which militants target civilians, often imposing harsh conditions on local populations under threat of retribution.
In recent years, Mali’s security landscape has been complicated by political upheavals, including a 2020 military coup that ousted the government. Since then, the military junta has shifted alliances away from traditional Western partners towards Russia, a move that has raised concerns among international observers regarding the presence of Russian military instructors, allegedly from the private company Wagner.
Despite periodic claims of success against militant groups by Malian authorities, the reality on the ground remains one of persistent violence and instability, with civilian populations bearing the brunt of the conflict’s devastating impact.
