More than 40 civilians have been killed in an attack by armed men on camps in Mali’s northeastern Menaka region, according to security and community sources.
The attackers, who reportedly arrived on motorcycles over the weekend, targeted camps mainly inhabited by members of the Daoussahak community.
The community’s executive bureau blamed the killings on the Islamic State group, although independent confirmation of the group’s responsibility was not immediately available.
A security source based in Gao said the massacre was carried out in retaliation for recent military operations and attacks by the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA), an armed group with roots in the area that is aligned with the Malian government.
The source said the killings were linked to “military operations carried out in the area recently and to attacks by the MSA”.
The Malian army said it had conducted operations on Saturday, approximately 65 kilometres southwest of Menaka, targeting what it described as a major militant base.
According to the military, the operation struck “a major base housing several terrorist elements and military equipment”.
The latest violence underscores the persistent security crisis in Mali, where the military has been fighting jihadist insurgents, Tuareg separatist groups and criminal networks since 2012.
Following military coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s military leaders strengthened security cooperation with Russia and turned to the Russian paramilitary group Africa Corps for support.
However, the country’s military operations have drawn criticism over alleged civilian casualties.
In a report released on Monday, Human Rights Watch accused Mali’s armed forces and their Russian allies of killing scores of civilians in recent months.
The rights organisation said apparent indiscriminate drone strikes and other alleged abuses were part of an intensified military campaign against insurgent groups.
The report comes amid renewed instability following coordinated attacks in April by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group, and Tuareg-led separatists.
The attacks on April 25 targeted several towns and cities, including the main airport in the capital, Bamako.
Mali’s defence minister was killed during the coordinated assaults, which exposed continuing security challenges facing the military-led government.
The latest killings in Menaka highlight the growing risks facing civilians in northern and northeastern Mali, where rival armed groups and government forces continue to battle for control.
