BAMAKO (Reuters) – The mayor of a rural commune in central Mali reported on Monday that approximately 30 individuals were killed in attacks on two villages over the weekend.
The mayor did not specify who was responsible for the attacks. Mali is a country in West Africa that is home to militant groups with ties to al Qaeda and Islamic State, which frequently carry out attacks on the military and civilians.
The attacks began on Saturday in the villages of Ogota and Oimbe in Bankass circle, located in the Mopti region, as reported by Bankass Mayor Moulaye Guindo in a phone interview.
“Armed men entered, surrounded, and launched an attack on the two neighboring villages, Ogota and Oimbe. They opened fire on the residents and set fire to the houses,” Guindo stated.
“The death toll is significant, with around 30 fatalities, including men, women, and children. Both villages were completely destroyed and burned,” he continued.
Guindo also mentioned that another village in the nearby commune of Dialassagou was attacked on Monday morning, but a death toll was not yet available.
Efforts to reach the army’s spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful.
Mali is currently being governed by a military junta that took control through two coups in 2020 and 2021. The junta has formed a partnership with the Russian military contractor Wagner Group and has expelled French troops and U.N. peacekeepers from the country.
In a further indication of instability, the junta recently terminated a 2015 peace agreement with Tuareg separatists, who have been leading a long-standing rebellion in the country’s northern desert. The peace agreement had been unraveling as fighting resumed last year.
(Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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