Prefect of abducted northern Malian town released

21 Juin 2020

Bamako, Mali, June 21 (Infosplusgabon) – Sidya Coulibali, the central prefect of the circle of Diré, in Mali's northern region of Timbuktu, who was abducted on Wednesday in an attack by unidentified gunmen, was released on Sunday, security sources said.

The sources said that the abductors may not have been jihadists but the incident could be linked to the settling of scores or disputes in connection with the March parliamentary election.

The sub-prefect of Daghna, in the same circle, who was abducted at the same time, was released on the day of his abduction.

The abductions of prefects by jihadists are frequent in northern Mali where there is no central administration in several localities because of insecurity. The jihadists are opposed to the presence of the symbols of the Malian government in zones they control.

On many occasions, trade unions of civil administrators have called on the government to ensure their security through the provision of prefectures and governorates with a large number of guards and have threatened to go on strike if their demands are not met.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/CVX/GABON2020

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