More than 100 suspected jihadists have been released in Mali under a deal aimed at halting attacks on fuel convoys that had crippled the capital, Bamako, official and security sources said on Sunday.
The agreement follows months of disruption caused by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which has repeatedly targeted tanker convoys since September, triggering severe fuel shortages in the city.
A local elected official confirmed that “more than 100 jihadists” were freed as part of the arrangement, in exchange for the establishment of a secure corridor to allow fuel tankers to move freely into Bamako.
Truce until Tabaski
Security sources indicated that the truce is expected to hold until Eid al-Adha, also known as Tabaski, which is scheduled for the end of May.
The releases reportedly included members of the Fulani ethnic group, who are often wrongly associated with jihadist groups in the region.
Landlocked Mali has been grappling with a deepening security crisis since 2012, marked by persistent violence involving extremist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as criminal networks operating across the country.
TNAM
Edited By Egwu Patience Nnennaya.
