In a move aimed at bolstering security following a deadly terrorist attack, authorities in Mali’s capital, Bamako, have ordered the closure of several livestock markets. The decision comes on the heels of a Tuesday assault on a military training camp and the city’s airport, claimed by the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a militant group linked to al-Qaida. While Malian officials have confirmed casualties among government forces, an official death toll has yet to be released. Initial reports by AFP, citing security sources, indicated a death toll exceeding 70.
The closure order, affecting seven major livestock markets in Bamako, was announced by Abdoulaye Coulibaly, the governor of the capital, citing “public order reasons.” The markets are primarily run by members of the Fulani ethnic group. No timeline has been provided for the duration of these closures.
The Fulani, or Peuhl, are one of the world’s largest semi-nomadic ethnic groups, spanning a vast region from Senegal to the Central African Republic. However, their disproportionate representation within Islamic militant groups in Mali’s central region has unfortunately led to increasing stigma against the community.
Experts caution against oversimplifying the complex situation, emphasizing that attributing jihadist activity to the entire Fulani community is inaccurate. Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South in Morocco, highlights the diverse backgrounds of those involved in these groups: “Jihadist groups do not discriminate on who could join, members of the group include Bambara, Dogon, Arabs, Songhai, and Tuareg, not only Fulanis.”
Mali has been grappling with a decade-long insurgency waged by armed groups, including factions affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State. Although attacks in Bamako remain relatively rare, violence in the country’s central and northern regions continues to escalate.
