Media coverage of political parties was also banned in the West African country. (representative)
Dakar, Senegal:
Suspected jihadists in central Mali are holding more than 110 civilians they kidnapped six days ago, local sources told AFP on Monday.
A local group of associations and an elected official said three buses carrying civilians were intercepted on April 16 by “jihadis”, who forced the vehicles and passengers into a forest between Bandiagra and Bankas. .
“We demand the release of more than 110 passengers on three buses hijacked by jihadists on Tuesday,” Omar Ongoiba, a member of the group, told AFP.
An elected official in Bandiagra, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, said: “Three buses and passengers, more than 120, are still in the possession of jihadists.”
Bandyagra associations had published a statement on Friday condemning the “continuation of terrorist attacks”, the “increasing number of displaced people” in the towns and the “lack of action by the armed forces”.
Protests against insecurity in the town turned violent last August after jihadist attacks and several people were injured.
Mali has been ravaged since 2012 by various factions linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as self-proclaimed self-defense forces and bandits.
Violence spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, with all three countries seeing military regimes seize power.
Since the overthrow of Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020, the junta has undertaken a strategic realignment, severing its long alliance with former colonial power France and fostering closer military and political ties with Russia.
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger formed their Sahel alliance in November and all pledged to leave the regional bloc ECOWAS.
The deteriorating security situation in Mali is linked to a humanitarian and political crisis.
Junta has faced domestic and international criticism after failing to fulfill commitments to hold presidential elections in February and then leave office.
Prime Minister Choguel Kokala Maiga said this month that elections would be held only after the security crisis had stabilized.
The opposition was silent
According to security sources and human rights reports, violence in central Mali increased in the last quarter of 2023 when military operations increased.
Despite the operations, armed groups have continued their attacks in the center and south, approaching the outskirts of the capital Bamako.
In March, the military said troops had repelled three “terrorist” attacks targeting two military camps about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Bamako.
The AFP could not independently verify claims from either side, often from remote locations with little access. The Malian military rarely reports any action other than claiming victory.
The regime has effectively silenced the opposition, journalists and human rights defenders, with many in prison or exile.
On March 31, less than a week after the junta handed power back to citizens, several political parties and civil society groups issued a rare statement calling for elections “as soon as possible” and noting that the country is “legally ” was and institutional vacuum”.
Days later, all political activity was suspended pending the outcome of a national dialogue launched by junta leader Colonel Asmi Goita in December.
Media coverage of political parties was also banned in the West African country.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
