Mali Army Promises to Track Down Attackers of Deadly Convoy Assault

Mali’s military pledged on Saturday to track down the terrorists responsible for an attack on a large convoy heading to a gold mine that left numerous casualties.

A group of soldiers and Wagner mercenaries were escorting mainly foreign civilians to a mine in northern Mali when they were ambushed on Friday by armed assailants, local officials reported.

The attack occurred as the convoy, consisting of several dozen vehicles, passed through the village of Kobe in a region notorious for the presence of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates, where several attacks have been reported in recent months.

Advertisement

“During the fighting, the terrorists deliberately targeted civilian passengers,” the Malian army general staff said, adding that it would “pursue the terrorists responsible.”

A local politician, who spoke anonymously, reported that the attack left 32 civilians and soldiers dead.

Mali Army Promises to Track Down Attackers of Deadly Convoy Assault

According to a statement from the Malian Armed Forces, 25 civilians lost their lives, while 13 others, including mostly young foreign gold miners, were injured. The army also confirmed that 19 bodies of attackers were recovered at the scene.

Another local official added that the civilian victims were predominantly foreign nationals heading to a mine in Intahaka, a major gold mining area in northern Mali.

Mali is one of Africa’s top gold producers, although its output has significantly decreased due to ongoing instability.

Since 2012, the country has seen a surge in violence, including a series of military coups, as it grapples with insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda, IS, and local criminal groups in the north. The unrest has spread throughout the central Sahel region, where neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger have also seen military-led governments take power.

Military leaders across the Sahel have vowed to reclaim sovereignty over their countries’ natural resources, which they believe have been unfairly exploited by foreign companies.

Gold mining accounts for a quarter of Mali’s national budget.

Author

Share the Story
Add a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement