By Mohamed AG Ahmedou
In the west and north of the Timbuktu region, a new series of attacks targeting nomadic civilian populations is causing serious concern among residents and local observers. Since Monday, March 30, several localities in the sectors of Gargando, Essakane, Farach, Bakada, Zouera, Tin-Issik, Tin-Aicha Tin-d’Abba, Razelma and Araatan, Ikoumboutane, Goubert, Ingodri, Tacharine, Tin-Djarane, and Tin-Aicha Adanda have been the scene of military operations described by witnesses as “punitive expeditions” involving Malian armed forces and foreign fighters affiliated with Afrika Korps.
A series of coordinated operations:
According to multiple local sources, three separate military columns reportedly left Goundam, Niafunké, and the Timbuktu area, respectively, converging on areas inhabited primarily by Tuareg nomadic communities.
On March 30, in the Tacharine and Ingodri areas, a 24-year-old man was killed, while two other people were abducted. On the same day, several camps were looted: livestock was stolen, water supplies destroyed, and subsistence goods seized.
These operations continued in the following days, with a significant escalation of violence.
Essakane and Bakada: Civilians Targeted
On April 1st, in the town of Essakane, three young nomads belonging to the Kel Ansar community were abducted. They are Abadou Ag Assadeck, Khali Ag Backa, and Mili Ag Mohamed, all livestock herders. Their relatives say they have had no news of them since their abduction early Wednesday afternoon by Russian and Malian soldiers.
An elderly man was also killed in similar circumstances.
In the hamlets of Bakada, gunfire was reported against a group of young people bathing in the river. The imam of Bakada, who was present, was fatally wounded by projectiles. Witnesses describe a scene of panic, where gunfire indiscriminately targeted civilians and military personnel.
Livestock was also slaughtered in several areas, notably in Essakane, exacerbating the sense of food insecurity among local populations.
Systematic looting and destruction:
On the night of April 1-2, armed units raided the hamlet of Tin-Issik, north of Zouéra. Homes were searched, and belongings were stolen, including jewelry belonging to Tuareg women and livestock slaughtered on the spot for consumption.
On April 2, the operations shifted to Razelma. On the road connecting Zouéra to this town, trucks transporting food supplies were intercepted and hijacked. A Tuareg shepherd named Douka AG Adjouzoulou, who suffered from vision problems, was summarily executed a few kilometers from the village of Razelma.
In Razelma, the weekly market was particularly targeted: facilities were burned, stalls looted, infrastructure destroyed, and numerous goods were stolen. The towns of Araten and Ikoumboutane were also affected, with at least two kidnappings reported.
A recurring strategy of terror:
For many residents, these operations are part of a now recurring pattern. “Every two to three weeks, the same scenes are repeated,” a local leader told us by telephone. The military incursions are reportedly accompanied by indiscriminate violence, targeting both people and their livelihoods.
Beyond the loss of life, the psychological consequences are profound. Women, children, and the elderly live in constant fear, some preferring to flee the affected areas.
Denounced impunity:
These events are occurring within a context of security restructuring in Mali, marked by the withdrawal of several international actors and the increased reliance on foreign military partners. Voices are being raised to denounce the lack of response from the international community to this repeated violence. Several local actors are calling for urgent mobilization, citing the need for a United Nations resolution to guarantee the protection of civilians.
The issue of impunity remains central:
Despite the gravity of the reported acts—summary executions, kidnappings, looting—no independent investigations are currently possible due to the withdrawal of Mali’s coup leader, Assimi Goita, from the International Criminal Court.
A climate of enduring fear:
In these areas, already weakened by years of conflict, recent events are exacerbating a precarious humanitarian situation. Access to water, livestock, and markets—pillars of the local economy—is now compromised.
For nomadic communities, this violence is not only a source of suffering. These isolated incidents are symptomatic of a broader collapse in security and the protection of civilians in northern Mali.
On November 26, 2025, coordinated military missions by Russian mercenaries from Africa Corps and the Malian Armed Forces (FAMAS) committed at least twenty massacres of unarmed Tuareg civilians in the same localities of Essakane, Zouéra, Amaranane, Razelma, Nijhaltate, and Gargando.
04-04-2026