Local reports suggest that a number of hostages, who were abducted by suspected jihadists near Bandiagara in Central Mali, have been liberated.
Calls for the release of over 110 individuals, kidnapped by suspected jihadists on Tuesday, April 16, had been echoed by local groups and officials in Mali.
While precise figures remain unavailable, RFI news agency indicates that several dozen individuals were freed on Wednesday.
Among them were primarily villagers whose authorities had entered into informal “peace” agreements with certain jihadist factions operating within their region.
According to RFI, hostages from communities that have not entered into local agreements with the jihadists are still being held captive.
The armed men stopped at least three buses carrying the hostages and took them into a forest between Bandiagara and Bankass in central Mali last week.
According to villagers, the kidnappers are believed to be jihadists affiliated with the al-Qaeda-linked Jnim (Groupe de soutien à l’Islam et aux musulmans).
However, neither this group nor any other operating in the region has claimed responsibility for the abduction. Since 2012, Central Mali has been plagued by fighting between various factions associated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as self-declared self-defense forces and bandits.
The deteriorating security situation has been further exacerbated by humanitarian and political crises.
The violence has extended into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, resulting in military regimes taking control of all three countries in recent years.
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