886 civilians killed, wounded or kidnapped in Mali: UN

Bamako: At least 886 civilians were killed, injured or missing in Mali in the second half of last year, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) said in a note published on Thursday.

Of the victims, 40 are children and 65 are women, the MINUSMA said. According to the document, the number of violence-affected civilians decreased slightly by 7 per cent from the first half of last year.

Human rights abuses that were attributable to groups, such as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, have increased by 21 per cent from the previous period.

The note said that the violence was concentrated in the centre of the country, notably in the regions of Bandiagara, Douentza, Mopti and Segou, with a shift towards the southern regions.

Since 2012, Mali has been facing a deep multifaceted crisis at the security, political and economic levels.

Independence insurgencies, militant incursions and inter-community violence have left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced in this West African country.