Key Highlights
- Friday 14th August 2015, unidentified armed men fatally shot a Muslim cleric in central part of Mali killing him on the spot.
- Credible OSINT sources show that the cleric turned down attempts by a militant group to recruit him.
- According to a local official, the gunmen who killed the Muslim preacher are suspected to be affiliated to Takfiri cleric Amadou Koufa.
- The slain cleric, Aladji Sekou was the imam of Barkerou village which is approximately 250 kilometers north of Mali’s capital, Bamako.
- The two gunmen approached the home of the 63-year old cleric where they shot him dead.
- According to the imam’s nephew, Oumar Sekou the militants had tried to recruit the imam to join their cause without success thus viewing as their opponent.
Summary
Mali security authorities have blamed gunmen believed to be affiliated to Koufa and have launched intensive manhunt of the militias.
Koufa reportedly has ties with Macina Liberation Front a new terrorist organization in Mali.
The terrorist outfit is believed to be responsible for a number of attacks in Mali’s central regions of Segou and Mopti.
