A respected Quranic teacher in Tonka, Abdoul Salam Maïga, was enjoying a peaceful discussion with friends in his traditional gathering place near the local market when armed militants from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) arrived and forcibly took him away. Moments later, his lifeless body was discovered, executed at close range in a public display of violence.

While some speculate his killing may stem from religious disputes—perhaps refusal to collaborate with the armed group—most residents and local leaders believe his assassination was retaliation for alleged ties to Malian security forces. The JNIM has intensified its campaign of targeted violence in the Tombouctou region, particularly in areas they claim are under government influence.

This latest act of brutality follows a grim pattern in the area. In November, Mariam Cissé, a young social media influencer known for her vocal support of the Malian military, was publicly executed in the same town. Earlier this year, Amadou Baby, a youth organization leader in Tonka, was gunned down in broad daylight, with militants accusing his group of aiding government forces—despite the absence of any military presence in the vicinity.

Residents of Tonka, Diré, Goundam, and Tombouctou describe a climate of deep fear and shock. «The entire region is on edge,» confided a local resident. «Every public execution sends a wave of terror through the community, leaving families trapped in a cycle of silence and despair.»