Abdoulaye Tandina, known to locals as Badou “Wayé”—the butcher in Songhai—or simply Abba by the children he treated with kindness, was a fixture of Tonka’s market scene for decades. A lifelong butcher from Tombouctou, he had called Tonka home for over 40 years, rising to become the city’s respected guild leader before stepping back from the role.

On Monday evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, armed men intercepted him at the bustling market where he sold his meat. They forced him from the square and executed him by the roadside, leaving his family and neighbors stunned.

His daughter, who runs a shop in Tombouctou, remains inconsolable, a family friend shared. Yet Abdoulaye Tandina was not a figure of public debate—he did not flaunt political allegiances or challenge militant authority. His only connection to power was distant: a cousin serves as head of Tombouctou’s interim municipal delegation, a role born from the absence of elected leadership.

A pattern of targeted killings grips Tonka

This marks the fourth targeted assassination in Tonka within eight months. In late March, a youth association leader fell victim, followed in June by a respected Quranic teacher. The shockwaves of November 2025 still linger, when the public killing of Mariam Cissé—a TikToker openly supportive of Mali’s military—sparked national outrage.

Why Abdoulaye Tandina? His family cannot explain. He kept to his trade, avoided public posturing, and posed no visible threat. A relative described his death as inexplicable, given the lack of provocation. The absence of official statements from regional authorities or military spokespeople only deepens the mystery.