At least 19 civilians were slain by suspected jihadists in central Mali on Sunday, according to reliable sources, marking the most recent incident in a region that has seen years of unrest.
“The jihadists fired at villagers three kilometers (less than two miles) from Diallassagou. Three village residents told AFP that the preliminary death toll is 18 people dead and 21 injured.
While confirming the attack, a police source and a local official stated that 19 people had died and blamed “terrorists” and “armed men.”
“We confirm. There are 19 dead and 21 injured, the police source said, adding that “the terrorists killed civilians in Diallassagou in cold blood.” They accuse the civilians of helping the Malian army.”
Under the condition of anonymity, an elected official from Bandiagara, a town about 60 kilometers from Diallassagou, told AFP 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.
The government of Mali blamed Katiba Macina, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, for one of the worst attacks in recent memory that claimed the lives of over 130 civilians in the same village in June 2022. The group denied the allegations.
Since 2012, Salafist insurgencies and independence movements in the north have thrown Mali into chaos.
With the rise of jihadist groups led in particular by the fiery Fulani preacher Amadou Koufa, who has recruited mostly from within his community, the country’s center has become a flashpoint for violence since 2015.
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.
Attacks are often hard to verify for a long time because of things like far-off places, a deteriorating security context, and insufficient reliable information.
