Over 40 civilians killed in weekend attacks on nomad camps in Mali

More than 40 civilians were killed in weekend attacks by armed men on camps in Mali's northeastern Ménaka region, according to security and community sources cited by AFP. The assailants, arriving on motorcycles, targeted camps mainly housing members of the Daoussahak community near Tinabow and Tagadayat, roughly 50 kilometers from the town of Ménaka. The Daoussahak executive bureau attributed the killings to the Islamic State group and reported at least 48 civilians killed on Sunday alone, while local officials put the toll at over 50, including women and the elderly.

A security source based in Gao said the massacre occurred "in retaliation for military operations carried out in the area recently and for attacks by the MSA," referring to the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad, an armed group drawn from the Daoussahak community and aligned with Mali's ruling junta. The residence of MSA leader Moussa Ag Acharatoumane in Ménaka was also targeted but no casualties were reported there. Mali's army confirmed it had conducted operations in the same area on Saturday, striking what it described as a terrorist base.

The attacks have triggered significant displacement, with residents continuing to arrive in Ménaka as of Monday. The Daoussahak community bureau condemned the "massacre" of "defenseless civilian populations" and appealed for emergency humanitarian aid for the displaced. Mali has been mired in a security crisis since 2012, with violence involving jihadist groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State, Tuareg separatist movements, and criminal gangs, a situation the junta has struggled to contain since seizing power in coups in 2020 and 2021.