Ethnic clashes in Mali between two ancient African peoples kill 134
Government officials are attempting to prevent more bloodshed between Dogon people who say a group of Fulani tribesmen are harboring terrorist jihadists
Mali’s government has banned a group of men disguised as hunters who attacked a village early Saturday morning, killing 134 villagers, including women and children, and burning down their huts.
CNN reports another 55 people were wounded in the attack carried out by an ethnic Dogon militia, which occurred in Ogossagou, located in the Motpi region of the country. The victims of Saturday’s deadly attack were “killed with guns and machetes,” a local security official told AFP news agency.
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The attackers blamed the army for failing to protect them from jihadists and cited this as the reason for the attack, according to the BBC. They accused the Fulani village of having ties to jihadists and set up their own self-defense groups to protect their people.
The attack occurred while United Nations ambassadors were in Mali to deal with increased violence in the central African nation.
According to CNN, Mali’s government officials reaffirm “its determination to make every effort to hunt down the perpetrators of this barbarity of another age and to punish them, in accordance with the laws in force.”
“In the same spirit, the government will continue to ensure the protection of the people, to recreate the conditions of true social cohesion and to promote national reconciliation,” a rep from the government told CNN, adding “the government condemns with the utmost severity this heinous act and expresses its compassion to the families of the innocent victims.”
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António Guterres, United Nations secretary general, was “shocked and outraged” by the bloodshed, according to a UN spokesperson.
“The Secretary-General condemns this act and calls on the Malian authorities to swiftly investigate it and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the UN spokesperson told CNN. The secretary general “calls on the Malian authorities to redouble their efforts to bring back peace and stability to central Mali.”
The area has long experienced fighting between ethnic Dogon hunters and semi-nomadic Fulani herders from land access to water, with each side blaming the other. The Dogon hunters suspect Fulanis have ties to jihadist groups and Fulanis accuse the hunters of conspiring to attack them.
The Mali government banned Dan Na Ambassagou, which name translates to “hunters who trust in God,” according to the BBC.
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In 2018, hundreds of people were killed as a result of fighting between Dogon hunters and the Fulani villagers.
After this latest attack, the Mali government vowed to change the Malian military commanders.
The Dogon culture is said by historians to date as far back as 10th century and are known for their intricate art and language as well as astronomy. The Fulani have a similar history and date as far back as the 8th century and have spread through West and Central Africa.
