Mali: Gunmen kill more than 40 civilians in the northeast

More than 40 civilians, mostly men, were killed over the weekend in attacks on camps in the Ménaka region of northeastern Mali, according to security and local sources cited by AFP. The attackers reportedly arrived by motorcycle and targeted camps housing mainly members of the Daoussahak community, in and around Tinabow village and in the Tagadayat area. The community’s executive bureau blamed the Islamic State group, while a security source described the killings as retaliation for recent military operations and attacks by the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad, which is aligned with the government in Bamako. Mali has faced a security crisis since 2012 involving the army and its Russian allies, jihadist fighters, Tuareg separatist groups and criminal gangs.