Description: According to a report published by the Human Rights Watch organization, the Malian army conducted strikes on several insurgent areas back in Oct, when more than 31 civilians were tortured and killed. The killings were focused in the Segou region and the village of Balle where more than 31 people were killed after being accused of cooperating and supporting the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) terrorist organization. The group has most recently expanded their area of operations to the southern parts of the country and diversified their financial streamlines, collecting tax from herders and artisanal gold mines under their control. JNIM imposed a fuel blockade on Mali’s capital, Bamako, which is still in force, causing unprecedented economic consequences and pressuring the military led government.
Impact: The report indicates that Mali’s government, led by the military junta, is rapidly losing its grip on power and is starting to indiscriminately target civilians in insurgent areas which are fertile recruitment grounds for organizations such as JNIM. The military is losing the battle on both the military and ideological fronts since JNIM has significantly increased attacks on government and military outposts in recent weeks and managed to maintain the fuel blockade on the country’s capital. JNIM would be emboldened in areas where the military is targeting civilians as the terrorist organization could exploit the public dissatisfaction to mobilize in even larger numbers which in turn would enable the organization to eventually mount a comprehensive offensive on the country’s capital and overthrow the military junta as the governing element. The potential for Mali becoming a jihadist state is increasing by the day, with the government failing to deliver a cohesive strategy to counter the raging insurgency engulfing larger parts of Mali.