The tragedy took place in the early morning, around 5 a.m. this Sunday. In central Mali, three military camps were the target of simultaneous attacks by terrorist groups. At least six soldiers of the Malian Military Forces (Fama) were killed and 20 were injured. According to the press release issued by the Malian army, armed terrorist groups have used “kamikaze vehicles packed with explosives”, while inflicting significant material damage. The camps attacked – those of Sévaré, Bapho and Niono – are located on major roads, on the banks of the Niger River. The Malian forces were able to regain control of the situation after this umpteenth attack.
Camp already bruised by an attack in 2018
“We have asked the UN mission in Mali (Minusma), as part of our collaboration, to send a rapid intervention force near the Sévaré camp to help secure”, added a Malian military source, which is confirmed by Minusma. In this camp already bruised by an attack in 2018, buildings and vehicles were destroyed and burned. The use of suicide vehicles is rare in Mali, the jihadists most often use artisanal mines whose manufacture is more rudimentary.
The attack was claimed at the end of the afternoon by the katiba Macina of the Fulani preacher Amadou Koufa, in an audio message in the Bambara language. “We hit those camps at the same time with a five-minute gap. In addition to the dead, they were caused material damage. can we hear in particular in the message. This terrorist group is subordinate to Iyad ag-Ghaly, the leader of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (Jnim), linked to Al-Qaeda.
Deep security crisis
Over the years, as Mali has descended into war, the number of funeral announcements announcing the death of Malian soldiers has continued to swell. Between October and January, around 30 attacks targeted the Malian defense and security forces, killing at least 40 people and wounding 52, according to a recent UN report.
Plunged since 2012 into a deep security crisis that the deployment of foreign forces has not been able to resolve, Mali has experienced two military coups since August 2020. Starting in the north of the country, the jihadist violence has spread towards the center and south before the conflict became more complicated with the appearance of community militias and criminal gangs. The conflict between jihadist groups and the state has killed thousands of civilians and combatants in recent years, while central Mali currently remains one of the main centers of the Sahelian crisis.