TikTok influencer publicly executed in Mali as jihadist crisis worsens

"A TikTok influencer has been publicly executed by suspected jihadists in Mali, underlining how state control has been eroded in the west African nation. Mariam Cisse often wore combat attire to post videos in support of the country's military to more than 100,000 followers on TikTok. According to Yehia Tandina, the mayor of Timbuktu region, she was abducted in a market on Friday by unknown gunmen."

"At dusk the next day, the the same men brought her back to Independence Square in Tonka and executed her in front of a crowd, Tandina told the Associated Press. The mayor said Cisse, who is believed to have been in her 20s, received death threats before her death. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing but Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a group linked to al-Qaida, is known to patrol Tonka, which is about 90 miles from Timbuktu."

"The conflict in Mali began in 2012 when an uprising by Tuareg rebels was hijacked by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and later Islamic State. Despite French-led interventions and a UN peace mission, violence spread southward as insurgents exploited local grievances, corruption and weak governance. The military took control of the country in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, after which tensions with western allies deepened."

Mariam Cisse, a TikTok influencer with over 100,000 followers, often wore combat attire and posted videos supporting the Malian military. Unknown gunmen abducted her in a market and publicly executed her at Independence Square in Tonka the next dusk. Cisse, believed to be in her 20s, had received death threats and no group has claimed responsibility. JNIM, linked to al-Qaida, is known to patrol Tonka. The Mali conflict began in 2012 when a Tuareg uprising was hijacked by jihadist groups and violence spread despite international interventions. Coups in 2020 and 2021 deepened divisions, expelled Western forces, and prompted reliance on Russian support while the army failed to end the insurgency.

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