Sahel: Unrest in Mali intensifies, scores killed by booby-trapped corpse near Mopti

Posted On 27 February 2019

Number of times this article was read : 76

Feb 27, 2019 – Seventeen civilians were killed and 15 were wounded in a blast caused by a booby-trapped corpse in central Mali, security sources and a local official said on Wednesday. The incident occurred on Tuesday in Diankabou, a small town about 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of the city of Mopti, they said. A local official told AFP it was caused by “an explosive device which was planted on the body of a man who had been shot dead.” A security source confirmed the information, saying: “The body exploded, killing 17 people.” Among the victims were the parents of the man whose body had been booby-trapped, he said.

The man had gone to find food for his cattle and had never returned. His parents then found the corpse. “They rather unwisely approached the body which exploded, killing 17 people. The gunmen who killed him had planted explosives on his body and around it,” the source said. “This is a method that jihadists use to cause maximum deaths,” another security source said. The attack was the first incident of its kind in Mali. On February 14, jihadists in neighbouring Burkina Faso used an identical method, rigging a corpse dressed in military fatigues with explosives. The blast killed two police officers and an army doctor.

Mali has been struggling to return to stability after Al-Qaeda-linked extremists took control of the north in early 2012, prompting a military intervention by France. Although they were routed in the French operation in 2013, large stretches of the landlocked African state remain out of government control. Most of the violence is centered in Mali’s central and southern regions but it has also spread across its borders, affecting neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. The country has also been blighted by inter-communal violence between farmers and herders which last year killed more than 500 civilians, UN figures show.

By AFP

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Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

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