35 Mauritanians return from Mali detention, some tortured: govt

Thirty-five Mauritanians detained in Mali were finally released on Wednesday, according to a government spokesman. The group was suspected of terrorist activities, according to sources from Mali's foreign ministry and police. The Mauritanian government spokesperson, Houssein Ould Medou, claimed that the accusations were baseless and that the detainees had been subjected to mistreatment and torture by Malian authorities.

The individuals were granted freedom after the Mauritanian embassy in Bamako intervened on their behalf. Social media posts from the detainees revealed that they had been harmed and had their possessions taken, including items like watches, cash, and garments. The Mauritanians had been held in Mali for nearly three weeks before returning on a flight to Nema, a city in southeastern Mauritania, on Wednesday afternoon.

They were met by local officials, the regional governor, and relatives who were seen joyfully hugging and embracing their loved ones in a video shared online by AMI. According to a government official, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani had played a crucial role in securing their release. The Mauritanians had entered Mali from Ivory Coast.

Mali has experienced a security crisis since 2012, with a surge in attacks by a coalition of Tuareg separatists and jihadists from the al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims in April. The country's military junta, which seized power in two coup d'états in 2020 and 2021, has been struggling to curb the threat.