A savage attack on a wedding in Djiguibombo, a village in central Mali, West Africa, resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people. The deadly incident took place on the evening of July 1, 2024, as residents were celebrating a local couple’s nuptials.
Motorcycle-riding attackers swiftly encircled the gathering, commencing a violent assault that left behind a scene of horror and destruction. “Most of the victims had their throats slit,” stated Bakary Guindo, the president of a local youth group; others were shot. The assailants not only wreaked havoc at the wedding but also looted homes, set a health center ablaze, and stole livestock and supplies.
Djiguibombo, which is situated near the town of Bandiagara, has been a recurrent target of violence associated with extremist factions. While no group has yet claimed responsibility for this latest attack, its brutal nature and methodology bear the signature of the al-Qaida-affiliated extremist group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has repeatedly targeted this region.
Village resident Hamidou Saye shared the ruthless strategy of the attackers: “They surrounded the large number of attendees, leaving no escape for those celebrating the wedding.” The community is still grappling with the shock of this horrific event, with many of the victims being young people.
This incident is just another addition to the escalating violence that has enveloped Mali since 2012. Extremist groups and ethnic militias have unleashed terror on the central and northern regions, with civilians often being the victims of their brutal campaigns. The withdrawal of French troops and the termination of the UN peacekeeping mission have only contributed to the instability, providing extremist groups with opportunities to gain strength.
The military leaders of Mali, who took power almost four years ago, have found it challenging to control the spiraling violence. The failure of a 2015 peace agreement with the ethnic Tuareg rebels has further deepened the security crisis. The government’s alliance with the Russian Wagner Group has not yielded any positive results, and allegations of human rights violations by government forces and allied militias persist.
Ginna Dogon, a representative organization of the Dogon ethnic group, expressed their sorrow over the continuous violence. “This is the latest tragedy in a dark series that the Dogon country has been going through for several years, with daily attacks on villages, farmers in the fields, killings, and kidnappings,” the organization stated.
The wedding attack in Djiguibombo underscores the precarious security situation in Mali. Despite assurances from the military government to restore peace, the grim reality persists. Communities in central and northern Mali remain in a state of constant fear, vulnerable to unexpected and violent attacks.