Video Surfaces of ‘Cannibal’ Malian Army Member

A video of a Malian army (FAMA) member disemboweling a suspected jihadist and placing his organs in plastic bags before stating in the local language, Bambara, that he intended to eat the unidentified man's liver has surfaced online. Another FAMA member, standing to the side, claimed he would eat the man's heart. While the video began surfacing online yesterday, it is unclear when or where the video was taken..What You Need to Know.In response, the Malian Army released a statement denouncing the act claiming, "the general staff of the armies reassures that all measures have been taken to bring out the truth relating to this video," outlining, "these practices are contrary to the ethics, values, habits, and customs of our army.".The man, whose name is unknown, thought to be the victim of the disembowelling..So, What Now?.Due to the nature of the disembowelment it is unlikely that there is an occult aspect to the FAMA members actions, with Akpojevbe Omasanjuwa from the university of Gambia stating, "Warfare cannibalism is a final act of annihilating one's enemy, especially war victims, as the reduction of the enemy to faeces is the ultimate humiliation." Nevertheless, the military members actions may have been influenced by the FAMA's proximity to the traditional Dozo hunters of Mali, who do engage in occult practice and who oftentimes act as proxies of the army in the fight against JNIM and other armed groups, according to Human Rights Watch..Media site RFI has stated that a video circulated in 2019 of a Dozo hunter offering the liver of a corpse to his leader, further pointing to a link between the member in the recent video and the Dozos.