One week after the abduction of over 110 civilians aboard three public transport buses in central Mali by suspected jihadists, populations in central Mali have decreed a blockade on several road axes to demand that the Malian state further ensure its role as guarantor of the security of persons and property.
The suspected jihadists intercepted the three buses between the localities of Bandiagara and Bankass in central Mali. They forced the drivers to head towards a forest with over 110 civilian passengers on board.
Since then, there has been no news of these individuals, now considered hostages. Tensions are escalating within the local population. Youth from several localities in the center have organized hostile demonstrations against the Malian government and blocked road axes. The situation is tense.
In a public statement, several associations from the Bandiagara region denounced “the deterioration of the security situation on the ground.” “The Bandiagara region is plunged into doubt, into a nightmare,” reads the same statement, which estimates the total number of civilians kidnapped in recent weeks in the central part of the country to be in the hundreds.
Faced with the persistence of jihadist attacks, local stakeholders denounce “the inaction of the armed forces and security forces,” before issuing a threat: If the state does not act to liberate all abducted civilians and restore security, the protest movement will intensify and spread to other localities.
This development underscores the urgent need for the Malian government to address security challenges effectively and restore confidence among the population in the affected regions.