Mali's army says 54 bodies found after attacks on camps in Ménaka region, blames Islamic State's Sahel branch

Mali’s armed forces said on Saturday 24 October that a patrol had found 54 bodies at a camp in Tagadayat, in the north-eastern Ménaka region, after attacks on civilians there, Xinhua and AFP reported. Sources had earlier told AFP that at least 48 people had died.

Gunmen on motorcycles reportedly opened fire last weekend on camps mainly housing members of the Daoussahak community, AFP reported. The armed Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA), a group aligned with Mali’s military government, originated in that community, according to security and community sources cited by AFP.

The army said in its statement that initial witness accounts attributed the killings to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, the group’s Sahel affiliate. It said the victims were buried at the scene and nine survivors were taken to the town of Ménaka for treatment. The army condemned the killings, said it was helping residents of threatened camps move to Ménaka, and said patrols and security operations were continuing. A security source in Gao told AFP the attack was carried out “in retaliation” for recent military operations in the area and attacks by the MSA.

Background: Mali has faced a security crisis since 2012 involving jihadist fighters, separatist groups and criminal gangs, AFP reported. The country has been led by a military government since coups in 2020 and 2021. The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara operates in the border areas of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, according to Xinhua.