Armed Men Kill At Least 19 Civilians In Central Mali

Joy ChukwuMay 27, 20241 Mins read576

A branch of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), in Ughelli, reportedly witnessed a violent attempt at robbery earlier today, as gunmen stormed the premises and engaged the police stationed at the bank in a fierce gun battle.

At least 19 civilians in central Mali were killed on Saturday when suspected armed jihadists attacked a village in the Circle of Bankass in the Mopti region.

Reports indicate that the assailants targeted villagers on their way to work in the fields.

Three villagers told AFP on Sunday that the jihadists opened fire three kilometres (less than two miles) from Diallassagou, resulting in 18 deaths and 21 injuries.

A police source and a regional official confirmed the attack, reporting 19 fatalities and blaming terrorists and armed men.

“We confirm. The terrorists killed civilians in Diallassagou in cold blood,” the police source said.

An elected official in Bandiagara, about 60 kilometres from Diallassagou, told AFP anonymously that 19 farmers were killed in their fields. The victims were displaced people who had settled in Diallassagou.

The region is one of several in northern and central Mali where jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have been active since 2012.

In June 2022, over 130 civilians were killed in the same village, one of the deadliest attacks in Mali in recent years. The government blamed Katiba Macina, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, which denied the allegations.

Violence has escalated in central Mali since 2015, driven by jihadist groups led by the radical Fulani preacher Amadou Koufa, who has recruited heavily from his community, according to Channels News.