A popular Malian TikTok influencer, Mariam Cissé, has been executed in front of a crowd by suspected jihadists, underscoring the growing breakdown of state control in the West African nation.
Cissé, who often wore military-style outfits to post patriotic videos supporting Mali’s army, had more than 100,000 followers on TikTok. According to Yehia Tandina, the mayor of the Timbuktu region, she was abducted on Friday by armed men while at a market in the town of Tonka.
“At dusk the next day, the same men brought her back to Independence Square in Tonka and executed her in front of a crowd,” Tandina told the Associated Press. The young woman, believed to be in her 20s, had reportedly received death threats before her death.
No group has claimed responsibility, but Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaida-linked faction, is known to operate in Tonka, about 90 miles from Timbuktu.
State media described Cissé as someone who “wanted to promote her community and support the Malian army in its mission to protect citizens and their property.”
Mali’s conflict began in 2012 when a Tuareg rebellion was overtaken by jihadist groups aligned with al-Qaida and later the Islamic State. Despite French-led military interventions and years of UN peacekeeping efforts, the violence has spread southward, driven by corruption, weak governance, and local grievances.
The military seized power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, worsening tensions with Western allies. After expelling French and UN forces, the junta turned to Russia for support, including fighters from the Wagner Group.
However, the insurgency has only intensified. According to Rama Yade, senior director of the Africa Centre at the Atlantic Council, “The power grab deepened divisions within the army, splitting it between privileged loyalists of the regime and those sent to the frontlines.” She said the withdrawal of international forces allowed jihadists to capture weapons and expand control across northern Mali.
Fighters from JNIM have since tightened control over key supply routes linking Mali with Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, and Senegal. Since September, they have imposed a fuel blockade, crippling transport and forcing hospitals to scale back operations. Schools have been closed indefinitely, and in Bamako, long queues stretch for miles as fuel and food prices soar.
The United States, France, Germany, and Italy have all advised their citizens to leave Mali immediately, warning that the roads around the capital are unsafe.
The African Union has expressed “deep concern over the rapidly deteriorating security situation,” urging urgent international coordination to help restore stability.
Meanwhile, kidnappings are on the rise. Last Thursday, five Indian workers were abducted near Kobri in western Mali, and on Sunday, JNIM claimed responsibility for seizing three Egyptian nationals, demanding a $5 million ransom for their release.
With the insurgents expanding and the army growing increasingly divided, analysts warn that the fall of Mali’s ruling junta may be just weeks or months away.
