Dan Na Ambassagou Explained

Dan Na Ambassagou (“hunters who trust in God,” in Dogon language^[1]) is an ethnic Dogon militia in Mali.^[2] The militia was setup in 2016^[3] to defend Dogon communities against attacks, which has led to a number of conflicts with members of the Fula community. They accuse the Fula (or Peuhl) of sympathizing with or sheltering Islamist militants in their villages. They are run by Youssouf Toloba.^[4]

The group was behind a number of attacks in 2018. In September 2018, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue negotiated a unilateral ceasefire with Dan Na Ambassagou "in the context of the conflict which opposes the group to other community armed groups in central Mali."^[5]

The group gained widespread attention following the March 2019 attacks against Fulani herders, of which they were accused of being the perpetrators.^[6] The group denied any involvement in the attack. In response, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta ordered Dan Na Ambassagou to disband.

References

1. Web site: Mouvement " Dana Ambassagou " ou Chasseurs se confiant à Dieu au Pays Dogon: Vers l'auto-défense des populations et des valeurs sociétales ! - Bamada.net. en-US. 2019-03-29.
2. Web site: Mali: Militias Kill Over 75 Civilians. 2018-12-18. Human Rights Watch. en. 2019-03-29.
3. Web site: "We Used to Be Brothers" Self-Defense Group Abuses in Central Mali. 2018-12-07. Human Rights Watch. en. 2019-03-29.
4. Web site: Militia head refutes his group responsible for Mali massacre. 2019-03-25. Associated Press. en-US. 2019-03-29.
5. Web site: Youssouf Toloba and his Dan Nan Ambassagou armed group sign a commitment towards a ceasefire in central Mali HD Centre. 2019-03-29.
6. News: The hunting society accused of a massacre. 2019-03-25. 2019-03-29. en-GB.