Karou and Ouatagouna massacres

Karou and Ouatagouna massacres
Part of Mali War
LocationKarou, Ouattagouna, Daoutegeft, and Dirga, Mali
DateAugust 8, 2021
Deaths51+[1]
Perpetrator Islamic State in the Greater Sahara

On August 8, 2021, jihadist militants from Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) launched simultaneous attacks on four villages in central Mali, killing over fifty-one civilians.

Attack

Around 6pm local time, over 80 ISGS militants stormed the four towns of Karou, Ouattagouna, Daouetegeft, and Dirga, all within a short distance of each other.[2][3] The militants fired guns while riding on motorbikes, "as most victims were in front of their houses; others going to the mosque" according to local official Oumar Cisse.[4] According to eyewitnesses, ISGS went from house to house, rounding up all of the men and children, only sparing some women.[3] Military officials stated that ISGS fighters massacred everyone, burning down homes and stealing cattle.[5][2] Many of the dead were women and children.[6]

Malian military officials stated the attack was prompted because locals in the town had shared the locations of ISGS to the Malian military following recent humanitarian aid deliveries.[6]

Aftermath

The provisional death toll, according to local officials, was 51 killed.[5] Twenty civilians were killed in Karou, fourteen in Ouattagouna, and an unknown amount in Daoutegeft and Dirga.[5] A representative of local Songhai human rights group Songhoy Chaawara Batoo claimed that the attack occurred within eighteen kilometers of a Malian military base.[7] Malian officials claimed that after the attacks, they established a heavy security presence in the area.[6] The UN also launched its own investigation into the massacre in late 2021.[3]

References

  1. ^ "At least 51 killed in Mali rebel attacks: Officials". Al Jazeera. 2021-08-09. Archived from the original on 2023-02-28.
  2. ^ a b "Mali : plus de 50 civils tués par des djihadistes présumés". LEFIGARO (in French). 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  3. ^ a b c Maillard, Matteo. "Au Mali, autopsie d'un massacre ordinaire". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  4. ^ "Rebel gunmen kill at least 51 in Mali in apparent revenge attacks". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  5. ^ a b c Akinwotu, Emmanuel (2021-08-09). "Mali conflict: at least 51 people killed in attack by suspected jihadists". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  6. ^ a b c "Mali: une cinquantaine de civils tués par des jihadistes dans le nord du pays". RFI (in French). 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  7. ^ "More Than 50 Dead in Attacks on Mali Villages". VOA. Retrieved 2023-02-28.