Mali: Armed Men Kill 37 Villagers

Many homes were burnt and at least 37 people killed in Koulogon village in the Mopti region of central Mali on January 1, 2019 after a deadly raid believed to have been carried out by Dogon hunters, the BBC reported. A government statement said an investigation has been launched and the army deployed in the affected community.

Radio France International, RFI said men armed with automatic weapons arrived in the village at 6 am local time and headed straight for the mosque, before continuing to the local chief, Moussa Diallo’s palace.

He was killed alongside members of his family. According to sources, local people with traditional weapons stood no chance against the better armed assailants. Marcelin Djinguéré, a spokesman for the Dogon militia, Dana Amassagou, however de nied any involvement in the attack. “They came to kill, pillage and burn,” complained Idrissa Sangaré, Member of Parliament for Bankass. He added that the government does not understand the gravity of the inter-communal conflict.

Belko Ba, deputy for Niono and member of the National Assembly Defence Committee, who visited Bankass on the eve of the attack, described the killings as “dramatic.” He said the authorities were yet to find the right strategy for returning peace to ce...