A TikTok Star's Tragic End in Mali's Conflict

In a small village along the Niger River, about 90 miles from Timbuktu, a young woman's life was cut short. Mariame Cissé, a TikTok influencer, was known for her posts supporting Mali's army. She wasn't a soldier, but she often shared images of herself in military fatigues, gaining over 140, 000 followers. Her support for the army made her a target. Armed men abducted her from a weekly market, and the next day, they brought her back to Independence Square in Tonka. There, in front of a crowd, they executed her. The mayor of Timbuktu, Yehia Tandina, shared this grim detail with the Associated Press. This happened as a powerful jihadist group, linked to al Qaeda, is moving closer to Bamako, Mali's capital. The country's military junta and their Russian allies are having a tough time fighting back. These jihadists now control many parts of the vast Sahelian country. The mayor of Tonka, Mamadou Konipo, confirmed Cissé's killing but didn't have more details. No group has claimed responsibility, but the area is known for the presence of JNIM, an al-Qaida affiliate. Before her abduction, Cissé had received death threats, according to the Timbuktu mayor. Mali has been in a struggle with armed groups since 2012. The situation has gotten worse over the past decade. In 2020, the military took power, saying they wanted to stop the insecurity. But another military officer took power in a coup the following year, and things have only gotten worse since then. Armed groups, mainly JNIM, control large parts of rural Mali. The landlocked nation is currently under a fuel blockade by JNIM. As the situation in Mali deteriorates, countries like the UK, the US, Germany, and France have urged their nationals to leave Bamako.