Malian TikTok Creator Executed After Public Abduction, State Media Reports
A Malian woman who gained a significant following on TikTok for her vocal support of the national army has been abducted by armed men and publicly executed, according to state television and local sources.
Mariam Cisse, who amassed nearly 100,000 followers on the video-sharing platform, was reportedly seized in the northern town of Tonka. The state broadcaster ORTM confirmed she was later shot dead by her captors in a public square.
A Region Gripped by Conflict
The area where the abduction occurred is a hotly contested zone, caught between Mali’s armed forces and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an insurgent group with ties to al Qaeda.
Two local sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity for their own safety, corroborated the state media’s account. While neither witnessed the execution firsthand, one source received a detailed account from someone in the crowd, and the other was informed by Cisse’s grieving family.
“Mariam was forcibly taken from the market in front of everyone,” one source recounted, painting a picture of a brazen daytime abduction.
Conflicting Timelines and Unclaimed Atrocity
Reports differ on the precise timing of the killing, with one source pointing to Friday and state television along with a second source indicating Saturday. The attackers are widely believed to be members of local jihadist factions engaged in a protracted war against the Malian state. To date, no group has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack.
On her TikTok profile, Cisse’s posts were unambiguously patriotic. In one video, she appeared dressed in military fatigues, captioning the clip “Vive Mali”—Long Live Mali. Her content often served as a digital rallying cry for the armed forces.
State television, in its report, eulogized her, stating, “This young woman simply wanted to promote her community through her TikTok posts and encourage the Malian army in its missions to protect people and their property.” The broadcast did not identify her abductors.
Mounting Pressure on Mali’s Military Government
The execution underscores the severe challenges facing Mali’s military government, which is contending with intensifying pressure from JNIM and other armed groups. The capital, Bamako, is reeling from a two-month fuel blockade imposed by al Qaeda-linked militants, a stranglehold that has brought the city to a near standstill and stoked fears that the jihadists are inching closer to imposing their rule.
Cisse’s death is a stark reminder of the perils faced by civilians, particularly those who use their public voice to take a side in a brutal and unforgiving conflict. It raises a chilling question: in an era of digital expression, can a simple social media post become a death sentence?
Full credit to the original publisher: Reuters – https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/mali-woman-who-praised-army-tiktok-abducted-executed-state-tv-reports-2024-06-30/