Mali mourn departed soldiers

In the Malian town of Segou, over 230 km from the capital Bamako, a tribute has been paid to the 17 soldiers who died from a recent terrorist attack.

Gunmen killed the soldiers at a military camp in Nampala. 35 were reported wounded.

Mali’s justice ministry on Thursday opened an investigation into the deaths of the 17 soldiers killed, as Malians observed the first of three days of mourning.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, was present at the ceremony, as well as families of the murdered soldiers.

“Dear friends here today, the diplomatic corps, and officials of various ranks, let this tribute remind us of the need to stay united,“Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Mali’s president said.

The attack on the Nampala camp was claimed by two armed groups. The first, a Fulani group, and the second being the jihadist group Ansar Dine.

Many armed fighters operate in Mali’s vast northern desert, including some with links to al Qaeda, seeking independence for a region they call Azawad.