Violence in central Mali, more than 110 civilians kidnapped by “suspected jihadists”

Since 2012, Mali has been ravaged by different factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as self-proclaimed self-defense forces and bandits.

Suspected jihadist militants are holding more than 110 civilians kidnapped on Tuesday in central Mali.

According to local sources, three buses carrying civilians were stopped on April 16 by “jihadist militants” who forced the vehicles and passengers to head towards a forest between Bandiagara and Bankass.

Since 2012, Mali has been ravaged by different factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as self-proclaimed self-defense forces and bandits.

Mali’s deteriorating security situation has been compounded by a political and humanitarian crisis, with two coups hitting the country in 2020 and 2021.

Also, some human rights organizations have already announced their concerns about the intensification of violence in central and northern Mali, since the rivalry between the different parties to the conflict restricts the populations’ access to health care.