Gangafani and Yoro massacres
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| Gangafani and Yoro massacres | |
|---|---|
| Part of Mali War | |
 | |
| Location | near Gangafani and Yoro, Koro Cercle, Mali |
| Date | June 17, 2019 |
| Deaths | 41 |
| Victims | Dogon civilians |
| Perpetrator | Fulani militants |
On June 17, 2019, ethnic Fulani militiamen attacked Dogon civilians in the villages of Gangafani and Yoro, in Koro Cercle, Mali, killing 41 people.
A week prior to the massacre, Fulani herdsmen killed over 35 Dogon civilians in the village of Sobane Da, also in Koro Cercle. In response, the Malian army arrested dozens of Fulani herdsmen in the area, accusing them of perpetrating the massacre.[1] A survivor of the Gangafani and Yoro massacre stated that the assailants told him that the massacre was retaliation for residents of the villages giving information about the Sobane Da perpetrators to the Malian and Burkinabe armies.[1]
Massacre
The massacre began on the evening of June 17, when around a hundred armed men on motorbikes attacked the villages.[2] A survivor of the attack, Abdoulaye Goro, stated in an interview that around 40 Fulani militants intercepted his vehicle while he was on his way to his father's funeral. The militants forced everyone out of the cars, and brought them through the bush to a location with around 100 other people. The militants were only looking for people from Yoro and Gangafani. Those that were brought aside and shot. Goro, having not been from the villages, was released afterward.[3]
The Malian army sent out several patrol groups in the days following the massacre, with one being ambushed on June 18 near Banguimalam.[4]