Murderous operation by the Malian army and its Russian auxiliaries in Soumouni
The Malian Armed Forces are singled out once again in this operation in Soumouni, in central Mali.
© AFP - MICHELE CATTANI
Text by: David Baché
2 mins
According to information from RFI, five civilians were killed on Monday morning February 13 and others seriously injured in this village in the circle of Macina, region of Ségou, in the center of the country.
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The Malian soldiers and their Russian auxiliaries positioned themselves on Sunday evening near the village of Soumouni.
They suspect the presence of jihadists from the Katiba Macina of the Jnim (Support Group for Islam and Muslims), linked to al-Qaeda.
It must be said that for several months, many villages in the area, including that of Soumouni, have had to resolve to make agreements with the jihadists.
In order to be able to move freely and cultivate their fields, the villagers agree to submit to the rules imposed by the jihadists, such as dress requirements or the payment of taxes.
Monday morning, very early, the Malian soldiers and their Russian auxiliaries entered Soumouni and opened fire.
Five men were killed instantly: four farmers and the director of the village school, who was on the phone outside his house.
The four farmers, natives of Soumouni, will be buried on site.
The body of the teacher, originally from San, spent the night in Macina before being transported the next morning to his hometown for burial.
Four to seven other people, according to the sources, were injured during the operation, and evacuated by the Malian army itself.
The three most serious cases were referred to the Ségou regional hospital.
This information was obtained and cross-checked by RFI from numerous local sources.
One of them explains that after opening fire, the Malian soldiers and their Russian auxiliaries rounded up the inhabitants of Soumouni: "
They explained that they had come to fight the jihadists and their accomplices, and that they had even the means of knowing who had a weapon or who had handled one recently.
Then they left.
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The Malian transitional authorities have denied for more than a year the presence of mercenaries from the Wagner group and continue to affirm that only Russian instructors support the national army, and that they do not participate in field operations.
Asked by RFI, the Malian army did not respond.
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