Malian president’s chief of staff, three others killed in ambush

Rebels linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL have been active in parts of Mali and the Sahel for more than a decade.

Mali’s interim president Oumar Traore’s chief of staff and three others were killed in an ambush, the government said on Thursday.

The ambush took place in the rural area of ​​Nara in Mali’s southwestern Koulikoro region, the statement said, without providing further details on when the attack occurred or who was responsible.

A driver who traveled with the delegation is still missing, it added.

Mali is one of many West African countries to have seen fighting with armed groups in the past decade.

Rebels linked to al-Qaeda and the armed group ISIL (ISIS) have seized parts of territory in the region, killing thousands and displacing millions. In January, 14 Malian soldiers were killed and 11 wounded in two separate attacks in central Mali after their vehicles hit explosives.

Frustrations over the authorities’ failure to quell the violence have led to two military takeovers in Mali since 2020.

In 2022, French troops completed the withdrawal from Mali as relations between the two countries deteriorated due to two coups d’état and the perceived ineffectiveness of the foreign military in dealing with rebel activities.

Tensions are also rising between the UN mission and Mali’s military government following the alleged arrival of Wagner Group operatives from Russia to bolster government forces.