Suspected extremists seize over 110 civilians in Mali

• Jihadists stopped three buses carrying the civilians on April 16, forcing them to head towards a forest.
•  The group demands the release of over 110 passengers.
• Mali has been ravaged by Al-Qaeda, Daesh, self-declared forces, and bandits since 2012.

Local sources told the news on Monday that suspected extremists in central Mali are holding more than 110 civilians whom they abducted six days ago. "Jihadists" stopped three buses carrying the civilians on April 16, forcing the vehicles and the passengers to head toward a forest between Bandiagara and Bankass, according to a local group of associations and an elected official.

“We demand the release of more than 110 passengers of three buses abducted on Tuesday by jihadists,” a member of the group, Oumar Ongoiba, told the news.

An elected official from Bandiagara, who wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons, said, “The three buses and the passengers, more than 120, are still being held by jihadists.”

Since 2012, Mali has been ravaged by different factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group, as well as by self-declared, self-defense forces, and bandits. The worsening security situation has been compounded by a humanitarian and political crisis. The violence spilled over into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, with all three countries experiencing military regimes seizing power.

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