APA – Bamako (Mali) – At least 110 civilians were kidnapped on 16 April while travelling in three buses between the towns of Bandiagara and Bankass.
A dozen people were released on Wednesday 24 April, a week after their abduction.
They were among 110 civilians seized by armed men suspected of belonging to the Katiba Macina, part of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), al-Qaeda’s branch in the Sahel.
According to some sources, these people were released after the local population reached a series of agreements with the kidnappers. The hostages include women, children and the elderly.
In recent days, relatives of the hostages have been demonstrating in many towns in the Bandiagara region, calling on the transitional authorities to take action to secure the release of the rest of the hostages, but they say their appeals have so far been ignored.
At least 110 civilians were abducted on 16 April while travelling in three buses between Bandiagara and Bankass, an area in the centre of the country where JNIM has a strong presence.
The latest mass kidnapping has caused great discontent among the Malian population, as it is not the first time that people in the area have been deprived of their freedom due to insecurity.
According to some sources, at least 300 people have been abducted and disappeared over the past three years.
Among those abducted on 16 April were women, children and the elderly. They are the ones affected by this first release.
In the middle of the country, jihadists often ask people to submit to them or to conform to their dress code or way of praying in order to move freely in the area.
MD/ac/lb/as/APA