Written By | News Agencies
Mali has been in a dangerous security situation since the JNIM teamed up with Tuareg separatist rebels in April to target military government positions [File: AFP]
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Bamako
Mali’s military has carried out drone strikes that killed at least 10 civilians preparing for a wedding celebration in the central region of San, in the latest escalation of the country’s worsening conflict.
The strikes occurred on Sunday amid a deepening security crisis following coordinated attacks last month on military government positions by fighters linked to the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
A resident of the Tene locality, where the strikes took place, told News agencies that “10 of our children” were killed.
“What was supposed to be a moment of joy in the village turned into immense sorrow,” the resident said on condition of anonymity.
According to a security source cited by AFP, the victims were preparing for the second edition of a traditional collective wedding ceremony, an important cultural event for the local community.
“The tragedy occurred as villagers were preparing for this major cultural celebration,” the source said, adding that the military drones targeted “a procession of motorbikes following one another,” which may have attracted suspicion from surveillance operators.
A local official also confirmed the deaths.
“A wedding was about to take place when the drones killed at least 10 civilians. It is truly a time of mourning,” the official said.
Mali has experienced a sharp deterioration in security since April, when JNIM fighters joined forces with FLA rebels in launching coordinated offensives against government positions.
A deadly offensive on April 25 and 26 targeted strategic towns and reportedly killed the country’s influential defence minister.
The violence has intensified fears of instability within the military-led government.
Al Jazeera journalist Nicolas Haque, who has extensively covered Mali, earlier reported that the armed groups were specifically targeting military compounds and strategic locations.
“There is an unprecedented level of panic within military ranks,” Haque reported, citing military sources.
Alex Vines, Africa director at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Malian authorities appeared to have been caught off guard by the latest wave of attacks.
Several northern towns and villages, including Kidal, are now reportedly under the control of FLA and JNIM fighters, who have also imposed a blockade around the capital, Bamako.
Another wave of attacks by al-Qaeda-linked fighters on May 7 reportedly killed at least 30 people in central Mali, particularly in the villages of Korikori and Gomossogou in the Mopti region.
Mali, a country rich in gold and other minerals, has battled insecurity since 2012, with armed groups exploiting political instability and weak state control in large parts of the country.
The conflict now involves multiple actors, including the FLA, JNIM, and Africa Corps — a Russian government-controlled paramilitary force that replaced the Wagner Group following shifts in Russia’s military operations abroad.
Haque reported that witnesses claimed Russian mercenaries had been seen fighting in Bamako around the airport area, where one of their operational headquarters is reportedly located.
France and the United Nations previously deployed troops and peacekeepers to Mali in efforts to contain the violence. However, following military coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s ruling junta expelled French and UN forces and instead deepened security cooperation with Russian military contractors.
The latest civilian deaths are expected to renew concerns over the conduct of military operations and the growing humanitarian toll of Mali’s prolonged conflict.
Source: Aljazeera
