Medical charity MSF announced on Wednesday that it had suspended its activities in the central Malian town of Nampala following an attack on its staff and health workers in an area troubled by ongoing violence.
Mali has endured over a decade of devastation from jihadist and other armed groups, with the centre of the West African country becoming a focal point of violence since 2015.
For months, the Malian army, along with the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, has carried out operations in the region against armed terrorist groups, including Katiba Macina, which is linked to Al-Qaeda.
In a statement, MSF reported that on 14 October, its team and community health workers on the outskirts of Nampala were “violently attacked and robbed by armed men who regularly conduct military operations in the area.”
“This violence against the civilian population and humanitarian workers is unacceptable,” MSF added.
Civilians in central Mali have faced abuses attributed to various armed groups, primarily terrorists but also the army and its Russian allies, which the Malian authorities deny.
Several individuals were injured in the attack, according to a humanitarian source, though no further details were provided.
“MSF has had to make the difficult decision to temporarily suspend its medical activities in the Nampala area, depriving the population of essential care,” stated Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym, MSF).
The charity says it is the only international NGO operating in the area, where it provides “vital free medical care” to both local residents and those displaced by conflict.
The ongoing security crisis has resulted in “heightened health needs,” including a rise in malaria cases, according to the charity.
MSF stated it is engaged in discussions with “various parties to the conflict and the relevant authorities… to prevent further violence and to allow MSF to resume providing essential care to the population as soon as possible.”
Ten days ago, MSF announced it had also suspended operations in Djibo, a city in northern Burkina Faso, as terrorists intensified attacks near the borders with Mali and Niger.