Around 40 people reported dead after clashes in Mali

By Aurore Bonny

LOME, Togo (AA) - Some 20 people lost their lives on both sides in clashes between hunters and suspected "jihadist" groups in central Mali last week, an official statement said on Monday.

The clashes took place last Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a statement by Mopti's governor.

He said the conflict was the result of a feud between two brothers, one a hunter and the other "involved with alleged jihadist groups."

"Far from being an inter-communal conflict, the friction is consequential," the statement said, citing local sources.

The government authority in the region said "all measures have been taken to manage this situation, which is tending towards a disaster."

It also announced the "diligent deployment" of Malian Armed Forces units in the area to quickly contain the clashes as well as emergency humanitarian aid for about 1,000 displaced people.

A multidisciplinary regional mission led by the governor's economic and financial affairs advisor has also been deployed to "assess the situation on the ground, reassure the population, and hand over various donations," the governor said.

In Mali, Mopti is one of the regions that has suffered the most attacks by terrorist groups.