Abdoulaye Tandina, known locally as Badou « Wayé »—the butcher in Songhai—or simply Abba by the children he treated with kindness, was a respected figure in Tonka. His family described him as a pillar of the community, running a meat stall at the town’s market for decades.

On Monday evening, armed men intercepted him at his stall, dragged him away, and executed him beside a nearby road as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Born into a butcher family from Tombouctou, Abdoulaye had called Tonka home for nearly 40 years. He once held a leadership role among local butchers, though sources say he no longer held that position. His daughter, who manages a shop in Tombouctou, remains inconsolable, a close associate shared.

Family left baffled by targeted killing

Abdoulaye Tandina’s assassination marks the fourth targeted killing in Tonka over the past eight months. In late March, a youth association leader was shot dead, followed by the murder of a Quranic teacher in June. Last November, the public execution of Mariam Cissé, a young TikTok enthusiast who openly supported Mali’s armed forces, sent shockwaves across the country.

Yet Abdoulaye Tandina never openly displayed political affiliations, according to those who knew him. His relatives cannot fathom why jihadist groups targeted him. A family member revealed that he was a cousin of Tombouctou’s acting municipal chief—a possible but insufficient explanation for his killing.

Neither the Tombouctou regional authorities nor the Malian military responded to requests for comment.