The Malian army is cracking down on a militia in the country’s troubled centre in a bid to quell communal violence ahead of a July 29 presidential election, sources said. The Dana Amassagou, a militia which groups traditional Dogon hunters, has said it will stop the vote from being held in parts of central Mali, where it emerged several months ago. Violence has increased in the past three years in central Mali between nomadic Fulani herders and Bambara and Dogon farmers over accusations the Fulanis were colluding with jihadists.
“On Saturday, we intervened in the centre, in Kanou-Bombole, to ensure the security of locals,” a Malian security source told AFP.
The militia said in a statement a group of soldiers arrived at a gathering and tried to confiscate weapons.
“When we refused, they burned our motorbikes, over 300 motorbikes, and started shooting at us,” Dana Amassagou said, adding: “There was no loss of human life.”
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