The “Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development,” a coalition of armed rebel factions, reported 14 deaths including eight children gathered in front of a school, allegedly by Turkish-made drones operated by the Malian army.
Witnesses and residents, most preferring anonymity for security reasons, spoke of six to nine fatalities.
A health worker, who requested anonymity, stated, “Several strikes occurred this morning, killing six, including three children. We have injured people in the hospital.”
A France Press Agency video showed six bodies lying side by side.
Testimonies mentioned air raids or drone use without further details, noting the Malian army’s possession of drones.
Almou Ag Mohamed, spokesman for the Coordination of Azawad Movements, a coalition of Tuareg-dominated separatist groups, informed AFP of 12 deaths, four being children, in three separate attacks.
Malian authorities did not comment when contacted by AFP.
At least one strike targeted a camp recently vacated by the UN mission (MINUSMA).
Rebel groups control Kidal, having resumed hostilities after a 2015 peace agreement with the government.
The Malian army suffered significant defeats in the region between 2012 and 2014.
Accelerated Withdrawal
Last week, MINUSMA left its Kidal camp, allowing Tuareg separatists to overtake it, gaining an advantage over the Malian army in the territorial control race.
MINUSMA’s departure from Kidal highlights the deteriorating conditions it left behind in Mali after a ten-year mission, expedited by the worsening security situation and the ruling military council’s discontent.
MINUSMA vacated its Kidal camp before the army’s arrival, the last of three in the region, after Tessalit and Aguelhok camps.
Initially, the mission planned to withdraw from Kidal by mid-November. The extensive Kidal withdrawal had been anticipated for weeks as the most perilous of MINUSMA’s operations since August.
A local, who had worked with the UN mission, reported victims included residents who gathered at the camp for equipment left by departing personnel. The Permanent Strategic Framework confirmed a drone strike hit a group of children near a school close to the camp.
The coalition called on Turkey to reconsider its policy of selling drones to Mali’s military council and the Russian Wagner Group.
The rebellion in Kidal angers Bamako.
Kidal is the eighth camp abandoned by MINUSMA since August, out of 13 in the north and center, following the military council’s June request for a swift departure.
UN officials admit the Kidal withdrawal was more complex than expected, due to military escalations and obstacles by the military council.
The UN Security Council set December 31 as the deadline for MINUSMA’s withdrawal from Mali.