According to the Malian government, more than 130 civilians have been killed in attacks by extremist militias in several locations in the center of the West African country. “The total number of victims is 132 civilians,” the government in Bamako said on Monday. She blamed fighters from an Islamist militia linked to the Al Qaeda terrorist organization for the attacks.
Among other things, three villages in the Mopti region were attacked by members of the Katiba Macina group in the night from Saturday to Sunday, according to a government statement on Monday. Some perpetrators have been identified.
According to the UN, the terrorists are also responsible for dozens of attacks and ambushes against Malian soldiers. Mali, with around 20 million inhabitants, has experienced three military coups since 2012 and is considered to be extremely unstable politically. Since the most recent coup in May, the country has been led by a transitional military government that is supposed to maintain close ties with Russia. The military have ended cooperation with the former colonial power France in the fight against Islamists.
Islamist terrorist groups have been troubling the crisis-ridden state for years. The military junta has promised elections by the end of March 2024. The Bundeswehr is still present in Mali. She is involved in the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA. However, the European training mission EUTM will be largely stopped in the future.