Meanwhile, witless politicians in the West insist that this group has nothing to do with Islam, thereby depriving themselves a priori of any ability to understand its appeal to the populace and ability to persevere.
“State terrorists extend control over northeastern Mali,” Africa News, April 14, 2023 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Jihadists affiliated to Islamic State group have taken Tidermene in Mali, further isolating the regional capital Menaka.
This is according to officials and witnesses who spoke Wednesday (Apr.12) to AFP journalists.
Tidermene’s fall follows months of fighting by Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) to seize the northeastern village of a few thousand inhabitants some 75 kilometres (47 miles) north of Menaka.
All the region’s main administrative subdivisions are now under the group’s control.
The village was captured Monday night (Apr.10).
“Tidermene has fallen into the hands of Daesh,” an elected official from the town, who has retreated to Menaka, told AFP, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State organisation.
“They are distributing Korans to the population (and) moving around town with weapons,” he said.
He and others spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Another elected official said the jihadists had instructed the village’s residents to continue with business as usual, but to be prepared to begin paying the “zakat”, an Islamic tax….
Experts believe the jihadists stepped into a vacuum left when French forces departed last year….
The UN and human rights organisations say jihadists have carried out punitive attacks against communities they accuse of helping the state or refusing to join their ranks….