Mistaken Identity: Mali Government Troops Open Fire, Kill Mayor

The sad demise of the mayor of Anderaboukane, a region in northern Mali has come as a shock to many, especially those in the West African landlocked country.

Despite one of the largest countries in Africa, with an area of over 1,240,000 square kilometers, the population is surprisingly around 18 million. 

Citizens were left dumbfounded when news broke that the mayor of Anderaboukane, Hamad Ahmed, was killed by military officers who mistook his vehicle for that of terrorists.

The mayor was shot dead by government troops who opened fire on his vehicle, which according to them refused to stop at a check-point when it was ordered to.

In a statement, the Malian army confirmed the sad incident and said the officers had no other option than to open fire because the “suspicious vehicle did not heed an order by the Malian armed forces to comply with their instruction”.

They also added that the incident took place in an environment known for terrorist attacks, and it was for the singular reason of protecting life and property that the troops did not take any chances and opened fire on the vehicle.

However, the mayor appeared to be the only one who was killed in the incident, as the three other persons in the vehicle only secured injuries, the statement said.

“A probe is on to shed light on the circumstances surrounding to the incident” the army statement concluded.

The government is yet to release an official statement on the incident containing any information whether the military officials will be punished.

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Header Image Credit: Nairobi Wire