Bamako, Mali – A popular Malian TikToker, Mariam Cissé, has been seized and executed by suspected jihadists in the northern Timbuktu region, according to local reports and security sources. Ms Cissé, said to be in her 20s and with over 100,000 TikTok followers, frequently used the platform to post videos about life in her hometown of Tonka and to express strong support for the Malian army. Her death has sent shockwaves across the West African nation, which has been grappling with a decade-long jihadist insurgency.
Execution and Accusations
Mariam Cissé was reportedly first seized while live-streaming from a market in a town near Tonka. Her brother told the AFP news agency that she was arrested last Thursday. He said the militants accused her of “informing the Malian army of their movements.” A security source corroborated this, telling AFP she was assassinated for allegedly filming the jihadists for the military. Over the weekend, she was transported to Tonka by motorbike. She was then shot “execution-style” at the town’s Independence Square, with her brother reportedly among the crowd present. Ms Cissé’s TikTok posts sometimes showed her wearing a military uniform, with one video captioned “Vive Mali” (Long Live Mali). State TV has defended her actions, saying she simply wanted to promote her community and support the army through her posts.
Fuel Blockade and Worsening Crisis
The execution comes amid a rapidly worsening security and humanitarian crisis caused by a fuel blockade imposed on the capital, Bamako, by militants linked to an al-Qaeda affiliate. Jihadist groups have been attacking tankers on major highways, severely disrupting the supply of essential fuel to the landlocked country, which relies on road transport from neighbours like Senegal and Ivory Coast. The blockade has forced the Malian government to shut schools and universities for weeks, with the suspension currently set to last until at least Monday. The African Union (AU) Commission chairperson, Mahmoud Youssouf, expressed “deep concern” on Sunday over the “rapid deterioration of the security situation,” condemning the blockades and the “deliberate attacks against innocent civilians.”The French Foreign Ministry last week advised its citizens to urgently leave the country while commercial flights were still available. Mali’s military government, which seized power in 2021 promising to improve security, has struggled to contain the insurgency, leaving large parts of the north and east outside of government control.
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