Armed individuals in Mali have tragically taken the life of a TikTok influencer who openly supported the country’s military, as confirmed by authorities on Monday. Mariame Cissé was forcefully taken from a weekly market in Echel last Friday and later executed in front of bystanders at Independence Square in Tonka the following day, according to Yehia Tandina, the mayor of Timbuktu.
While the mayor of Tonka, Mamadou Konipo, verified the incident, he stated a lack of further details. Tonka, located about 150 kilometers from Timbuktu along the Niger River, is a village where the Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) militant group is active.
Despite no specific group claiming responsibility for the act, it is believed that Cissé’s social media presence, where she occasionally donned military attire for her 140,000 followers, attracted the attention of the assailants. The influencer had reportedly received death threats in the days leading up to her abduction, as mentioned by Tandina.
According to sources who preferred anonymity due to safety concerns, Mariame Cissé was forcibly taken from the market in a public manner. The state TV report highlighted her desire to showcase her community and express support for the Malian army through her TikTok content.
Mali has been grappling with armed conflicts since 2012, with the situation intensifying over the years. Following a military coup in 2020, insecurity has persisted, leading to further unrest. Notably, JNIM and other armed groups operate in vast rural areas, with JNIM currently imposing a fuel blockade on the landlocked nation.