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Insurgents linked to al-Qaeda have seized control of the strategic central Malian town of Farabougou, local sources told AFP on Thursday, a week after capturing the town’s military camp. The takeover underscores the growing influence of insurgents in the Sahel during Mali’s ongoing security crisis.
The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility for the operation through messages posted on its propaganda platform, al-Zallaqa. Local elected officials who fled the town confirmed that Farabougou is now under JNIM control. The military has not intervened since the attack, and authorities have yet to release casualty figures.
Located roughly 400 kilometres north of the capital, Bamako, Farabougou holds strategic importance within the Segou region. Some residents have begun returning home despite living under insurgents’ rule. “The head of the village has signed with the insurgents to say we shall respect their laws, so they have said we can return,” one resident told AFP, noting that the army remains absent from the area.
Life under JNIM insurgents come with strict conditions. Residents must pay a tax, comply with rules banning secular music, cigarettes, and alcohol, and women are prohibited from leaving home without covering their heads. “What can residents do? Some have nowhere else to go,” a local official said.
Mali has grappled with violence and criminal gang activity since 2012. The military junta, which came to power following coups in 2020 and 2021, has distanced itself from Western partners, including former colonial power France, while strengthening ties with Russia.
