Mali river boat attack claimed dozens of lives

Islamist militants in Mali have attacked a boat in the northeastern part of the country. The interim government reports that at least 49 innocent people have been killed in the attack.

They also supposedly attacked a military camp, causing the death of 15 soldiers, and approximately 50 militants are believed to have died.

The government has announced that everyone in the country will be sad and remember someone for three days.

The threat from Islamist militants has been increasing, even though the military says that Russian Wagner Group mercenaries are helping to change the situation in their favor.

The city of Timbuktu in the north has been blocked off since the end of last month, and there have been other recent attacks on transportation.

The BBC could not check if the government’s recent report, which was read on TV, was true.

A group of fighters attacked the boat while it was sailing on the River Niger from Gao to Mopti. The river is an important way for transportation in an area with not many good roads or train tracks.

Another group of fighters also launched an assault on a military base located in the Bourem Circle of the Gao region.

The Malian army shared on social media that a boat was attacked by “armed terrorist groups” around 1100 GMT.

The group called Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which is connected to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack on the military camp. However, they have not mentioned anything about the attack on the boat. It is one of many groups that follow Islamic beliefs and operate in the northern part of Mali and nearby countries.

The boat company, Comanav, told AFP news agency that the ship was hit by three rockets that were aimed at its engines.

The boat was stuck on the river and the military came to help people leave, said an official from Comanav (a company), who wanted to stay anonymous.

Since 2020, Mali has been governed by a group of military leaders.

Many people were in favor of the military taking control after large protests against the President. People were angry because they weren’t sure what would happen with the economy, the election was being argued about, and there was a lot of ongoing insecurity.

Afterward, information shows that Mali’s military government hasn’t made much progress in its efforts to fight against the Islamists who are in control of certain areas in the country.

The military leaders in Mali have told French troops and UN peacekeepers to leave the country. They have also asked Russian workers to come and take their place.

A rebel group connected to al-Qaeda and Islamic State started in the northern part of Mali in 2012. Extremist fighters who follow Islam have expanded their influence, moving throughout the Sahel area and particularly to Burkina Faso and Niger.