A deadly airstrike on a market in northern Mali has killed at least 18 people, according to the Collective for the Defense of the Rights of the Azawad People, a Tuareg separatist group. The attack, which took place on Sunday, has sparked a new wave of outrage as civilian casualties continue to mount in the conflict-stricken region. Seven additional individuals were reported injured in the strike, which occurred about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Lerneb, in the Timbuktu region.
The separatist group, which is part of a coalition of Tuareg factions fighting for greater autonomy in Mali’s north, condemned the airstrike as a “barbaric act from another age.” They issued a statement late Monday, calling for international attention to the escalating violence. The group’s accusations have added to the mounting criticism of the Malian army’s tactics in the ongoing conflict.
Mali’s military, however, issued a contrasting statement, claiming that the airstrike targeted a militant “refuge” in the area and resulted in the deaths of 11 “terrorists.” The military’s official account of the attack, shared via social media platform X, states that the operation was part of Mali’s ongoing efforts to combat armed extremist groups that have plagued the region for over a decade. The military’s claims have yet to be independently verified.
The attack comes as Mali remains embroiled in a complex and multifaceted insurgency, with a variety of armed groups, including factions affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS), fighting for control over vast swathes of the country. These insurgents often operate in remote regions of the north and central parts of Mali, where the central government’s control has been severely weakened. The conflict has left thousands dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more, with no end in sight.
Mali, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, has been grappling with an Islamist insurgency that has expanded in recent years. In 2021, a military coup led by interim president Assimi Goita ousted the democratically elected government. Since then, the junta has expunged French forces from the country, opting instead for security support from Russian mercenaries, including units affiliated with the Wagner group.
The Malian government has increasingly come under fire for its handling of the security situation, with reports of indiscriminate attacks that have resulted in numerous civilian casualties. Last month, the Front for the Liberation of Azawad, another Tuareg separatist faction, accused the Malian army and Russian mercenaries of executing at least 24 civilians in northern Mali, a claim that has fueled further distrust between the government and separatist groups.
Experts have suggested that the conflicting reports surrounding Sunday’s attack may stem from the military’s indiscriminate targeting of suspected militants in civilian-populated areas. Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South in Morocco, noted that extremist fighters, including jihadis, are known to frequent markets for supplies, which could explain why the army carried out the strike in a populated area.
“It’s possible that the Malian army saw the militants in this location as significant enough targets to accept a certain degree of civilian casualties,” Lyammouri said. However, he also acknowledged that both the military and separatist groups could be manipulating the narrative for their own purposes, either to justify military actions or to further their political and autonomy agendas.
As Mali struggles to contain the violence, the military’s increasing reliance on airstrikes and controversial alliances with foreign mercenaries has deepened tensions with both separatist groups and the international community. With growing allegations of human rights violations and civilian casualties, the path to peace in Mali remains unclear, and the region faces an uncertain future.
