Mauritanians suspected of terrorism in Mali released and repatriated

The plane landed around noon at Néma airport, where the families of the passengers gathered to welcome them. Images shared on social media show scenes of relief and emotion after several days without news of their loved ones.

According to their families, the arrested individuals are mainly Mauritanian traders who were returning to their country to spend the rainy season with their loved ones. They were reportedly apprehended the previous week on Malian territory amid suspicions related to terrorism.

Accusations of Violence During Arrest

One of the repatriated individuals, Mohamed, 29, claims that the group was traveling from Bamako when a flat tire immobilized their bus. According to his testimony, soldiers wanted to search their luggage after asking the driver to get out of the vehicle. The driver’s refusal allegedly led to a confrontation, followed by the arrest of the passengers.

The young man claims that the soldiers asked for their identifications and phones before handcuffing them and taking them to a police station. He also accuses some officers of having beaten the driver and several passengers. The Malian authorities have not, according to available information, publicly communicated about the specific circumstances of these arrests.

After their release, the Mauritanians were transferred to Néma. Mohamed credited their return to the intervention of President Ghazouani and the Mauritanian authorities, whom he thanked for their efforts with their Malian counterparts.

The exact number of repatriated individuals and the officially stated reasons against them have not been specified. This incident comes as relations between Nouakchott and Bamako remain tense, notably due to previous incidents involving Mauritanian nationals and ongoing security tensions in border areas.