Armed Groups Kill 51 Civilians and Loot in Northern Mali

On Sunday, the Ansongo District administrator confirmed that at least 51 Malian citizens were killed in attacks on the villages of Ouatagouna, Dirgua, Deouteguef and Karou, which are in the Gao Region near the border with Niger.

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"This is the highest number of victims of violence perpetrated by terrorist groups," tweeted former Prime Minister Soumeylou Maiga, who is currently the president of the Alliance for Solidarity in Mali - Convergence of Patriotic Forces (ASMA-CFP).

"The deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the wish for a speedy recovery for the injured, and solidarity with all populations that suffer daily terror," he added.

The attackers murdered farmers who were returning to their homes, murdered several citizens, looted some houses, set fire to shops, and stole animals.

So far, the Malian authorities have not officially confirmed the identity of the attackers, but it is presumed that the massacre was perpetrated by jihadist armed groups linked to Al-Quaeda.

Since 2012, Mali has been facing a profound and multifaceted security, political, and economic crisis. Independence insurgencies, jihadist incursions, and intercommunal violence have left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

The presence of European troops and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has not contained the structural violence in this African country.