The United States is saddened and outraged that 35 Malian civilians, mainly women and children, were killed in an attack on the village of Sobane Da, Mopti region, on June 10. We condemn this violence in the strongest possible terms and send our heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims.
The United States is alarmed by the increasing frequency of intercommunal violence in central Mali, and we reaffirm that such attacks against civilians are never acceptable. The Government of Mali must make every effort to improve civilian protection, with the support of its international partners.
We call on all Malian parties – and especially traditional and community leaders — to make every effort to restore peace and security in central Mali. We urge the Government of Mali to work to promote reconciliation and to bring those responsible for this attack to justice as soon as possible.
Note : This statement was updated on June 18, 2019 to reflect the accurate number of victims who tragically lost their lives in this atrocious attack.
