Dozens Killed In Central Mali Militant-hunter Clashes

Faizan Hashmi Published April 19, 2021 | 07:40 PM

About 40 people have been killed in recent clashes between militants and traditional hunters, the government of central Mali's Mopti region said Monday, with the fighting displacing around 1,000 people

Bamako, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Apr, 2021 ) :About 40 people have been killed in recent clashes between militants and traditional hunters, the government of central Mali's Mopti region said Monday, with the fighting displacing around 1,000 people.

The war-torn region's government said in a statement that clashes began with a dispute between two brothers, one a traditional hunter and the other an alleged militants.

The fighting between central Mali's main towns of Mopti and Djenne left about 20 dead on both sides, the statement added.

Army reinforcements have been dispatched to the area.

A Malian security official who requested anonymity told AFP that the clashes broke out after the hunters decided to "take back" rice which militants had collected as taxes.

AFP was unable to independently confirm the details.

Sidiki Diarra, spokesman for a group of traditional hunters in the area, said the clashes began on April 12.

"We lost many hunters (and) the survivors have moved to neighbouring villages," he said.