At least five people were killed in a gold mining village on the Senegal/Mali border late Wednesday night when Malians clashed with Burkina Faso nationals.

According to witnesses, a group of Malian nationals stormed a bar where Burkinabé nationals were drinking in Diyabougou, a village in the rural community of Sadatou.

The Malians accused the Burkinabés of killing one of their countrymen.

Cutlasses, iron bars, sticks, knives and guns were used in the attack which left at least five Malians dead.

The police in Kedougou and Tambacounda say they are investigating the cause of the violence in Diyabougou.

The village has become a magnet for different nationals from the sub-Saharan region since the discovery of gold three years ago.

Local people haven abandoned farming and are prospecting for gold.

Meanwhile both the Senegalese and Malian governments have closed the common border until further notice.