On Friday, March 6, an operation involving the Malian army and its Russian partners from the Africa Corps turned into a tragedy in the Ahl El Kory area (Nampala district). According to consistent accounts gathered by RFI, seven civilians were killed during this intervention, which took place less than ten kilometers from the Mauritanian border.

The circumstances of the attack

Two vehicles carrying traders and travelers had left Fassala (Mauritania) for a weekly market near Tenenkou, Mali. At the strategic intersection of the Ségou, Mopti, and Timbuktu regions—an area known for the presence of JNIM jihadists—the convoy was intercepted by a military patrol.

According to survivors and the human rights organization CD-DPA :

1. Panic ensued: Several passengers attempted to flee during the arrest.
2. The toll: Seven people were killed on the spot: six by close-range gunshots and a seventh by throat-slitting.
3. The abuses: The other passengers were violently interrogated and accused of complicity with the jihadists before being released.

Overwhelming visual evidence and witness testimony

Residents went to the scene during the night to film the abandoned bodies. These images, released to the press, support the theory of summary executions . The victims, identified as unarmed civilians from the Fulani community, were Malian refugees in Mauritania, originally from Nampala and Timbuktu.

Silence from the authorities: When contacted by RFI, the Malian army has not yet made any official statement on this operation.

A regional context under high tension

This incident is not isolated and is reigniting security and diplomatic tensions in the region:

1. Background: On February 3, eight Mauritanian civilians were killed by the same forces in Torodo. In 2022, a similar crisis severely strained relations between Bamako and Nouakchott.
2. Jihadist threat: On Monday, March 9, the Jnim group claimed responsibility for an ambush against an army and Africa Corps convoy southwest of Nampala, confirming the extreme volatility of this border area.