A savage attack on a wedding in Djiguibombo, a community in central Mali, West Africa, resulted in 21 casualties, leaving the village in deep grief. The assault took place on the evening of July 1, 2024, as community members gathered to celebrate the marriage of a local couple.
The attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, encircled the crowd and initiated a violent attack, leaving a trail of destruction. “Most of the victims had their throats slit,” reported Bakary Guindo, president of the local youth organization. Others were shot. In addition to this, the assailants looted residences, set a health center ablaze, and took livestock and supplies.
Djiguibombo, situated near the town of Bandiagara, has repeatedly suffered violent incidents connected to extremist factions. While no organization has taken responsibility for this particular assault, the tactics and severity of the attack suggest the involvement of the al-Qaida-associated extremist group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which frequently targets this region.
Village resident Hamidou Saye described the attackers’ modus operandi: “They surrounded the large number of attendees, leaving no escape for those celebrating the wedding.” This horrific event has left the community in shock, with a significant number of the victims being young individuals.
This incident contributes to the mounting violence that has plagued Mali since 2012. Extremist factions and ethnic militias have subjected central and northern regions to terror, focusing their savagery on civilians. The withdrawal of French troops and the discontinuation of the UN peacekeeping mission have further destabilized the region, giving extremist groups the opportunity to regroup and strengthen.
The military rulers of Mali, who took control almost four years ago, have found it challenging to manage the spiraling violence. The breakdown of a 2015 peace agreement with ethnic Tuareg rebels has exacerbated the security crisis. The junta’s collaboration with the Russian Wagner Group has failed to bring any improvement, and allegations of human rights violations by both government forces and allied militias persist.
Ginna Dogon, a representative organization of the Dogon ethnic group, expressed its sorrow over the continuing 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 assault on the wedding in Djiguibombo underscores the grim security situation in Mali. Despite commitments from the military government to restore peace, the situation remains bleak. Communities throughout central and northern Mali continue to live under threat, susceptible to sudden and brutal attacks.
