A 22-year-old TikToker, Mariam Cissé, has been brutally executed in Mali’s Timbuktu region after openly expressing support for the country’s army on social media.
Cissé, who frequently posted patriotic videos, was reportedly abducted while livestreaming at a market in Tonka before being publicly executed the following day in the town’s Independence Square.
According to local reports, armed militants believed to be members of the al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) accused her of spying for the Malian army after she appeared online wearing a military uniform with the caption “Vive Mali.”
Her killing has sparked outrage and fear across Mali, where jihadist activity continues to destabilise the region. The same insurgent group is said to be enforcing a blockade that has disrupted fuel supplies, shuttered schools, and postponed university examinations, leaving the capital, Bamako, struggling with acute shortages.
In response, the African Union has voiced deep concern over the worsening security and humanitarian conditions in the country. It has urged Mali’s ruling junta to strengthen protection for civilians and ensure that acts of intimidation and violence against non-combatants are brought to an end.
Cissé’s death underscores the growing danger faced by civilians and social media users in conflict-torn parts of Mali, where online expression can carry deadly consequences.
Melissa Enoch
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