Mali: at least 18 civilians killed in Diankabou during a military operation
In Mali, at least 18 civilians were killed in several villages in the commune of Diankabou on Saturday March 30. Located in the Koro circle, Bandiagara region, in central Mali, this commune was the scene of a military operation carried out jointly by the Malian army, the Wagner group and traditional Dozo hunters. In addition to the civilians killed, several hundred head of cattle were reportedly stolen, which some sources dispute.
Coat of arms of the Malian armed forces. (illustration) Agnes COUDURIER / AFP
By: David Baché
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From 9 a.m. until the end of the afternoon, they went from village to village, crisscrossing the commune of Diankabou. According to the numerous community representatives, notables or simple inhabitants of the area contacted by RFI, the Malian soldiers, accompanied by mercenaries from the Wagner group and traditional dozo hunters – hunters are regularly used by the army as guides – were very numerous.
They searched houses in Tan-Coullé, Tan-Ali, Tan-Samba and Bamguel. The searches took place without violence, but “
around twenty
” people – 18 to 21 according to sources – encountered outside these villages, including children, were summarily shot dead. Several sources also report missing people.
Some “
were afraid and wanted to hide
,” explains a source from Diankabou. Others “
rested under a tree
,” assures another. “
They were not terrorists, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time
,” deplores a Malian security source, who confirms that 18 people, indeed civilians, were killed. Two men were also arrested “
for verification
” after weapons were found in their house.
Finally, numerous local sources accuse the army, and its
auxiliaries of Wagner
and dozo hunters, of having stolen at least 400 head of cattle, cattle belonging to several families of Tan-Coullé. “
It’s not theft
,” says the Malian security source, “
but there is a dispute over the ownership of these animals
.” The governor of the Bandiagara region was alerted, work would be underway “
to identify the real owners
” of the livestock.
Requested by RFI, neither the governorate nor the Malian army responded.
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