Two journalists from Mali’s state broadcaster ORTM have appeared in a video released by the armed Islamist group JNIM, more than six weeks after they were abducted in the centre of the country. Collgeaues have described the images as shocking.
Daouda Koné, the ORTM director based in Douentza in central Mali, and his cameraman Salif Sangaré were taken on 14 October while travelling between Sévaré, a major road junction near Mopti, and Konna, a town further northeast on the Niger River flood plain.
The footage shows both men wearing boubous in front of a cloth backdrop that hides their surroundings. They look dejected but appear in good health.
Speaking under duress, the pair said they were being treated well and called on those watching to “do everything possible” to free them.
After viewing the clips, ORTM journalists told RFI they were "hard to watch” and “it hurts a lot”.
Mali’s transitional authorities – the military-led government that took power after coups in 2020 and 2021 – have offered no public reaction since the men were taken a month and a half ago.
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Wish for 'discretion'
Management at ORTM and national journalist organisations have also remained silent.
There has been no official statement following the release of the video either. One source said there was a wish for “discretion” and “effectiveness”.
Local sources said community leaders from the Mopti region had opened discussions with JNIM, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group known for attacks, kidnappings and assaults on security forces across the Sahel.
Some sources said they were surprised by the publication of the footage and now fear the situation may be stuck. An ORTM journalist said: “We hope to find our colleagues safe and sound soon.”
Mali under pressure to end fuel crisis as negotiations with jihadists stall
Fuel embargo
In a separate move, Mali’s transitional authorities have decorated fuel operators and drivers taking part in fuel convoys, including some who were killed.
It comes during an embargo on fuel imports to the country declared in early September by JNIM, which is linked to al-Qaeda and has carried out repeated attacks on tankers on Malian roads.
Presidential decrees published in the Official Journal on 1 December granted honours to 16 oil company executives and union leaders, to 31 injured drivers and, posthumously, to 27 drivers killed on Malian roads, including three Ivorians and one Burkinabè.
The recognition reflects the support given by fuel operators and the sacrifices made by transport workers who continue trying to supply the country.
Military escorts have been strengthened and administrative procedures sped up in the past 10 days, easing pressure on the capital.
