BAMAKO; Mali: Twenty-five bodies were found in central Mali after the army carried out a sweep in the unstable region, sources said on Monday, adding to concern about abuse by security forces in their fight against extremists.
An NGO called Kisal, which campaigns for the human rights of pastoral communities, said in a statement “25 bodies” had been found in three mass graves.
It provided a list of 18 names of people who, it said, had been killed.
The grim discovery was made after 25 people from the Fulani ethnic group, who are predominantly herders, were picked up last week by the army in the localities of Kobaka and Nantaka, Kisal said.
Separately, Oumar Diallo, a member of the Fulani association Tabital Pulaaku, said in the main regional town of Mopti that the first grave had seven bodies, the second held 13 and there were five others more in the third.
Central Mali is a vast area where the state is near-absent and extremists, blamed for exacerbating the dispute, roam with little constraint.
The armed forces are facing increasing accusations of arbitrary arrests and extra-judicial killings in their fight against the insurgents.
A source at the defense ministry told AFP that an inquiry had been opened but denied “these accusations of summary executions.”
A ministry spokesman also denied there had been any abuse.
“The zone is dangerous,” he said, explaining “terrorists and unidentified armed men” had been in the area.
On May 19, the army said three Malian soldiers and 12 “terrorists” were killed in fighting at an army camp near the border with Burkina Faso. But locals alleged the dead were all civilians and the army later put out a new statement that spoke of 12 “people” killed.
A resident of Nantaka named Hama Kelly said that troops arrested every person they came across as soon as they arrived in the village.
“They took their mobile phones and identity cards. Afterwards, people who were (members of the) Songhai (ethnic group) were released but all the Fulani were kept behind,” Kelly said.
The governor of the Mopti region, General Sidi Alassane Toure, declined to make any comment when approached by AFP.
“An army unit is in the area, I am awaiting its return to find out the situation,” he said.
Tensions and violence have intensified in the Mopti area over the past three years, featuring clashes between Fulani herdsmen and sedentary farmers from other ethnic groups who accuse the pastoralists of colluding with extremists.
Extremists linked to Daesh took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.
The insurgents have morphed into nimbler formations operating in rural areas, sometimes winning over local populations by providing basic services and protection from bandits.
Twenty-five bodies found after army sweep in Mali
Twenty-five bodies found after army sweep in Mali
- The grim discovery was made after 25 people from the Fulani ethnic group, who are predominantly herders, were picked up last week by the army in the localities of Kobaka and Nantaka.
- Central Mali is a vast area where the state is near-absent and extremists, blamed for exacerbating the dispute, roam with little constraint.
Italian PM pledges to deepen cooperation with African states
- The plan, launched in 2024, aims to promote investment-led cooperation rather than traditional aid
ADDIS ABABA: Italy pledged to deepen cooperation with African countries at its second Italy-Africa summit, the first held on African soil, to review projects launched in critical sectors such as energy and infrastructure during Italy’s first phase of the Mattei Plan for Africa.
The plan, launched in 2024, aims to promote investment-led cooperation rather than traditional aid.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addressed dozens of African heads of state and governments in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, and reiterated that a successful partnership would depend on Italy’s “ability to draw from African wisdom” and ensure lessons are learned.
“We want to build things together,” she told African heads of state. “We want to be more consistent with the needs of the countries involved.”
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Italy had provided Africa with a gateway to Europe through these partnerships.
“This is a moment to move from dialogue to action,” he said.
“By combining Africa’s energetic and creative population with Europe’s experience, technology, and capital, we can build solutions that deliver prosperity to our continents and beyond.”
After the Italy-Africa summit concluded, African leaders remained in Addis Ababa for the annual African Union Summit.
Kenyan writer and political analyst Nanjala Nyabola said tangible results from such summits depend on preparations made by countries.
African governments often focus on “optics instead of actually making summits a meaningful engagement,” she said.
Instead of waiting for a list of demands, countries should “present the conclusions of an extended period of mapping the national needs” and engage in dialogue to determine how those needs can be met.
Since it was launched two years ago, the Mattei Plan has directly involved 14 African nations and has launched or advanced around 100 projects in crucial sectors, including energy and climate transition, agriculture and food security, physical and digital infrastructure, healthcare, water, culture and education, training, and the development of artificial intelligence, according to the Italian government.
