Jihadists killed at least 132 civilians this weekend in several attacks on villages in central Mali and the death toll is expected to rise. The Malian authorities reported this on Monday, international news agencies write. The government says the extremist group Katiba Macina is behind the attacks. This would include ties with the terrorist organizations Al-Qaida and Islamic State.
Katiba Macina fighters attacked at least three villages in the eastern Mopti region during the night from Saturday to Sunday. According to the government, a number of perpetrators are in the picture, but it is unclear whether any arrests have been made.
Several hundred civilians have been killed in attacks in central and northern Mali since the beginning of this year. The attacks are blamed on both jihadist rebels and the Malian army.
France decided in February to withdraw from the West African country and to end the fight against the jihadists. The French military had been stationed in Mali since 2013 as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country. With 270 dead peacekeepers, it is the deadliest UN mission in history. The Netherlands supports the mission with personnel and a transport aircraft, among other things.
Relations between Mali and the West have deteriorated since military coups in 2020 and 2021. For example, France denounces Mali’s hiring of Russian soldiers from the Wagner Group.