More than 50 civilians died in the August 8 terrorist attacks in Mali. What happened in the villages of Ansongo circle, on the Nigerien border?
On Sunday, armed men attacked several villages in eastern Mali. “They shot at everything that moved and killed at least 51 people in retaliation for the recent arrest of several jihadist executives,” explains Waly Sissoko, the prefect of Ansongo. All the attacks took place in the unstable region of the “Three Borders Zone”. The villages attacked are on the banks of the Niger River, on the Nigerien border. A final village was also attacked further west, south of Gao.
The attacked region borders the Ansongo-Ménaka reserve, known as the former stronghold of Aqmi taken over in 2020 by the terrorist armed group affiliated with the Islamic State, the Islamic State in the Great Sahara (EIGS). Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) spokesperson Souleymane Dembele confirmed the attacks on Monday but did not give details. Oumar Sissé, a local official, confirmed that the terrorist offensive began on Sunday evening. “Most of the victims were in front of their homes. Others went to the mosque, ”he explained.
The @Fama_Dirpa are hard at work, to find and neutralize the authors of this barbarism. Malians 🇲🇱 more than ever we must remain united, united and determined, in this ordeal, in order to continue our fight against terrorism.
- Colonel Assimi GOITA (@GoitaAssimi) August 9
Totally ineffective Barkhane
The attackers arrived on motorbikes and surprised the police on the spot. The attacks appeared to be clearly planned. The toll of 51 dead is only provisional, the tally of victims continues. According to civilians in the region, the arrest of two heads of the EIGS, who had been denounced by the inhabitants of Ouattagouna and Karou, would be at the origin of this brutal attack. President Assimi Goïta has declared three days of national mourning, in tribute to the victims.
The inhabitants, for their part, asked the FAMA for protection in order to be able to bury their dead peacefully. The region has faced the threat of armed terrorist groups for years. But with each arrest of terrorists by the Malian army, it is the villagers who are then targeted. Mali has deployed hundreds of troops in the region, to prevent another bloodbath.
Civilians, on the other hand, wonder about the effectiveness of Barkhane's soldiers. French troops are still present in this region of Mali, unlike the north of the country where French soldiers are beginning to withdraw. Nearly 3 French and European soldiers are stationed, but it was Bamako that had to send reinforcements.
For its part, Minusma "condemned the barbaric attacks" and denounced "crimes against humanity" which "should be prosecuted by international justice".
#Press release - MINUSMA condemns in the strongest terms the attacks against the civilian populations in the Commune of Ouatagouna #Mali 🇲🇱 #Ansongo #gao # A4P #ServingForPeace
Read the press release here 👉https://t.co/8TOkyxjqwO pic.twitter.com/1uS7FiT38N
- MINUSMA (@UN_MINUSMA) August 9