Mali jihadists return to village where raid killed 20
A Coalition of the People of Azawad (CPA) fighter on patrol near the Mali-Mauritania border to protect local populations from insecurity related to unrest caused by bandits, in Soumpi on January 22, 2020. Jihadists on January 29, 2020 regained control of Soloko village in central Mali, the last town before the Mauritanian border. PHOTO | SOULEYMANE AG ANARA | AFP
What you need to know:
- Despite aid from French and UN forces, Mali is struggling to quell unrest that began in 2012.
- Jihadists claimed the January 26 attack on Soloko village that killed 20 Malian soldiers.
- 20 members of the Malian security forces were killed in the January 26 attack at Soloko.
Nouakchott,
Jihadists on Wednesday regained control of a village in central Mali, locals said, returning to the site of a recent attack that killed 20 members of the security forces.
The Malian army, which had retaken control of Soloko, had "fallen back" to the neighbouring area of Diabaly and jihadists had returned to the village, a local teacher told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The Sunday attack on the Soloko camp claimed by the Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) -- an umbrella group of Al-Qaeda affiliates -- killed 20 Malian security forces and wounded five, according to authorities.
"The jihadists... have raised their flag in the gendarmes' camp," said Hamed Drame, president of the Soloko youth association.
"There is a threat over the whole town. We have alerted the authorities but until now there has been no reaction from them."
Sokolo is the last town before the Mauritanian border, near a forest considered a base for groups linked to Al-Qaeda.
Despite aid from French and UN forces, Mali is struggling to quell unrest that began in 2012 in the north of the country before spreading to its centre, as well as neighbouring Sahel states Burkina Faso and Niger.
