At least eight civilians have been killed in central Mali, several sources said, blaming the Malian army and the Russian group "Wagner" for the latest attack in the troubled West African country, AFP reported, quoted by NOVA.
The country is gripped by several crises - in the security, political and economic fields. Since 2012, it has been ravaged by various groups linked to Al Qaeda and the "Islamic State". It is also facing a separatist insurgency in the volatile desert north.
"Hilux", a four-wheel drive vehicle, was heading towards a refugee camp in Mauritania when Wagner and the Malian army opened fire. "At least eight civilians were killed on Thursday (January 2)," a local official said on condition of anonymity.
A local humanitarian source confirmed the incident, saying the eight civilians were "killed by bullets between the towns of Nyono and Nampala."
The Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA), which unites several separatist groups in northern Mali made up of the Tuareg ethnic minority, accused the Malian army and the Russian mercenary group Wagner. for the "deliberate criminal act", in which it said 9 people died.
„The FNA learned with great dismay of the killing by the Malian army and Wagner mercenaries of nine civilians, including women and children, on Thursday between Gouma Kura and Dioura," it said.
The military in Mali seized power in successive coups in 2020 and 2021 and has since broken its anti-jihadist alliance with former colonial power France and European partners, while also turning politically and militarily towards Russia.