One trader helped Malian soldiers flee Islamist militias last March A mass grave discovered in the northern Malian town of Timbuktu has unearthed the bodies of three Mauritanians. Informed sources told Arabstoday that the three men were Mauritanian traders working in Mali.
One merchant, Mohammed Lamine Ould Mohamed Mahmoud, also worked as a local headteacher and reportedly enjoyed good relations with the Malian army. Sources claimed Mahmoud helped soldiers to escape when Islamist militias first entered Timbuktu last March.
The second trader has been named as Mohamed Ould Tijani, while sources were unable to confirm the third traders’ details.
The men had reportedly worked as traders when the Malian army arrested them a few days ago.
Families of the deceased have announced a protest outside the Malian embassy in the Mauritanian capital on Sunday, demanding the release of Mauritanian nationals currently being detained by Malian authorities.
Local media has meanwhile reported a campaign of mass arrests of Arab populations in northern Mali by the army.
The Association of Muslim Scholars condemned crimes against civilians in the northern town of Azoad, claiming Arabs and Tuaregs had been subjected to “killings, rapes, displacement and arbitrary executions” in what some have described as “ethnic cleansing.”
An Association statement held Malian and French forces responsible, calling for a “comprehensive reconciliation to achieve social justice, freedom and dignity for all.”
The statement also demanded troops protect the rights of civilians.