Mali President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is pleading for peace and unity in his country after a deadly village attack that claimed at least 95 lives.
The attack occurred in central Mali, an area inhabited by the Dogon ethnic group.
The attackers are believed to belong to a Fulani ethnic group. Fulanis and ethnic Dogon people have been fighting for years now in Mali.
Keita in a statement said “I condemn with the greatest firmness this cowardly and barbarous act that nothing can justify.”
He has cut short his foreign trip to return home after the massacre. The president has asked for an end to a cycle of revenge and vendetta.
Le Président #IBK a appris avec une grande tristesse et une profonde consternation les tragiques évènements survenus dans le village de Sobame Da. #IBK condamne avec la plus grande fermeté cet acte lâche et barbare, et vient d’écourter sa visite de travail en Suisse. pic.twitter.com/zXcrwg71Z5
— Presidence Mali (@PresidenceMali) June 10, 2019
Revenge and Vendetta
The Dogon hunters and Fulani herders have been carrying out deadly attacks on each other for years.
The Dogon ethnic group has accused the Fulanis of harbouring Islamist militants to carry out violence in Mali.
In March this year gunmen carried out a deadly attack on Fulanis in central Mali killing killed more than 150 Fulani.
Mali continues to suffer from attacks carried out by militant groups. Inter-ethnic clashes have also taken a toll on the country.
Since 2012 Mali has been in turmoil after Tuareg rebels and militants took over north of the country.
Source: Africafeeds.com
