The ordeal of the inhabitants of Boni continues. This Wednesday, June 15, this city in central Mali has been under jihadist blockade for just three weeks. Islamist fighters from Katiba Serma block the road leading to Boni. They accuse certain inhabitants of collaborating with the Malian army and of not respecting their prescriptions. Many residents have chosen to leave the city, where supply difficulties are already being felt.
The jihadists of Katiba Serma, a member of Jnim, the Support Group for Islam and Muslims, linked to Aqmi, allowed residents who wanted to leave Boni. Several dozen families thus chose, last week, to flee to neighboring localities such as Douentza or further north to Gao or Timbuktu. According to local sources, these are mainly families from pastoral communities, faced with the impossibility of carrying out their activities, in particular of grazing their animals.
According to UN sources, other localities close to Boni are also affected by the blockade – Banaga, Nissanata, Ella Boni, Loro, Ouro Nguerou – and are facing supply problems, particularly food. “ There were already serious difficulties before, explains a local source, the jihadist blockade is making the situation worse. »
Humanitarian and health workers were also forced to leave the area.
In Douentza, the last town accessible on the RN16 before the section blocked by the Katiba Serma, the many buses – more than a thousand passengers – who were waiting to be able to pass, gradually resolved to turn around. Five or six vehicles would still be in Douentza. Some travelers have managed to reach Boni by daring to take a secondary route with lighter vehicles.
The Malian army had carried out bombardments near Boni at the end of May and claimed responsibility for around thirty jihadists killed. Since then, despite requests from RFI, no further communication on Boni’s case. Local sources claim that Malian soldiers and their Russian auxiliaries are still present in the area.