More than ninety people were killed by gunmen in an overnight attack in central Mali late on Sunday. The attack took place in the ethnic Dogon village of Sobane, in Mali’s central Mopti region, reported Reuters.
The region is home to Dogon hunters and members of the largely nomadic Fulani ethnic group who have repeatedly clashed in recent months. The ethnic conflicts between the two groups have killed hundreds since January, including an attack in March in which gunmen killed more than 150 Fulani, one of the worst violent clashes in Mali’s recent history.
The Dogon and Fulani group members often clash over access to land and water. The Dogon accuse Fulanis of having a link with local jihadist groups, while Fulanis claim that Mali’s army has armed Dogon hunters to attack them.
The Malian defense ministry confirmed 95 have been killed, adding that 19 people were still missing and that the toll was likely to rise. No immediate claim of responsibility was made.
The government statement said the attackers also killed animals and burned down houses, adding that an investigation was underway.
“This country cannot be led by a cycle of revenge and vendetta,” Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita told ORTM public television from Switzerland.
He made an appeal to Malians to come together to “allow our nation to survive because this is a question of survival”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack in central Mali, his spokesman said Monday.
Stephane Dujarric said the secretary-general has strongly condemned the attack and has called for investigations.
“He strongly condemns this attack and calls on the Malian authorities to investigate this tragedy and to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Dujarric said.
He said Guterres has also appealed to the people of Mali to show restraint and to refrain from retaliatory acts and urged the government and all those involved in the intercommunal dialogue to resolve tensions and differences.
