37 civilians killed in Mali ethnic violence

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Thirty-seven civilians were killed when armed men believed to be traditional Dogon hunters attacked a village of Fulani herders Tuesday in central Mali, the government said.

The government said in a statement that the attackers, who were dressed as traditional Dogon hunters, raided the village of Koulogon in the central Mopti region in the early morning, and some of the victims were children.

"In addition to the 37 recorded deaths, all civilians, the casualty toll includes several wounded and many burned homes", the statement said.

Earlier, a security source and a man who said he had witnessed the attack also blamed the Dogon, and put the number of dead at 33.

The village chief Moussa Diallo was killed in the attack, a Fulani named Allaye Yattara told AFP, along with old women, a girl and all members of his family.

The violence is fuelled by accusations of Fulani grazing cattle on Dogon land and disputes over access to land and water.

The UN recorded more than 500 civilian deaths in the area in 2018.

In June, 24 members of the Fulani community were killed in an attack, which a UN probe blamed on the Dogon.

(Top image: A Fulani boy protests in front of a sign saying "Stop the Genocide" during a silent march in Bamako, Mali, June 30, 2018. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AFP