On Sunday 26th January 2020, 20 Malian soldiers were killed and 5 wounded in an attack by unknown armed men in central Mali. The attack took place in Sokolo military camp in the Segou region, where armed fighters linked to al-Qaeda are known to operate. Last year, 24 Malian soldiers were killed and 29 wounded when militants attacked a patrol in northern Mali in November 2019. Mali has suffered violence since 2012 when Islamist militants took over a Tuareg separatist rebellion in the north and seized several cities. However, there is a pressing need for better strategies geared towards tackling unemployment, climate change, human rights abuse and corruption in Mali.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 28, 2020 16:41 UTC