 |
| Mariam Cisse |
— TIMBUKTU
Mariam Cisse, a popular Malian TikToker with over 100,000 followers, was kidnapped and publicly executed by suspected jihadists in Mali's Timbuktu region, underscoring the persistent jihadist insurgency in West Africa since 2012.
Cisse was abducted on Thursday while live-streaming from a market in a neighboring town.
Militants accused her of relaying their movements to the Malian army via her videos.
The following day, she was shot dead in Independence Square in her hometown of Tonka, with her brother among the onlookers in the crowd.
Known for pro-military content, Cisse often wore uniforms in posts captioned “Vive Mali” (Long Live Mali). Her killing highlights the escalating risks to civilians amid Mali's longstanding conflict with extremist groups.