Explosions, Attacks in Mali, Niger Kill Over 100 People

Explosions hit a UN camp and a bus in Mali, while neighbouring Niger Republic saw an attack on a military base used by the G5 Joint Force of Sahel countries Mauritania, Niger, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso. The G5 was created in 2017 to establish order on their common border regions, in the fight against militants.

An army spokesperson said a large group consisting of hundreds of militants, approached the Fianto base in the Tillaberi region on motorcycles to carry out the attack. The federal government in both west African nations has little control outside cities in the vast deserts that comprise the countryside. Additionally, both countries are desperately poor, ranking at the very bottom and near the bottom of the UN's Development Index.

The overall weak governance in the region has been exploited by jihadist groups as well as criminal networks like human traffickers. The violence had killed and displaced thousands in both the military and among the civilian population. The latest violence in Mali comes after an attack on December 3, 2021 carried out by suspected jihadists near the central town of Bandiagara.