Mali was shaken after TikTok creator Mariam Cissé was kidnapped and executed by suspected jihadists following accusations of collaborating with the military. Cissé, in her 20s and from Tonka in northern Timbuktu, had over 90,000 followers and often posted videos supporting the Malian army, sometimes appearing in military attire.
Her brother reported that she was seized on November 6 while livestreaming at a local fair. He stated that the attackers accused her of “informing the Malian army of their movements.” The following day, she was taken by motorbike to Tonka, where she was executed in the city’s Independence Square, as her brother was forced to witness from the crowd. A security source confirmed the killing, describing it as an attack on someone accused of filming jihadists for the army.
Cissé’s death comes amid a jihadist insurgency that has gripped Mali since 2012. The country is facing significant instability, worsened by a fuel blockade imposed by militants that has disrupted access to essential supplies, forced schools and universities to close, and hindered farming in several regions.
State media reported that Cissé’s TikTok posts aimed to promote her community and support government forces rather than provoke conflict. A local official condemned the execution as an “ignoble act” intended to intimidate Malians from supporting the army.
The African Union expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation. AU Commission chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf pointed out that terrorist blockades had “disrupted access to essential supplies, and severely worsened humanitarian conditions for civilian populations,” emphasizing the AU’s readiness to support Mali and other Sahel nations.
Despite a military junta seizing power in 2021 and promising improved security, jihadist activity continues in the north and east, leaving many areas beyond government control. Cissé’s killing highlights the dangers faced by civilians who publicly support state forces and underscores the broader humanitarian and security challenges confronting Mali.
