Gambiaj.com – (BAMAKO, Mali) – Amadou Hady Tall, the Caliph General of Tijâniya and an influential advocate for peace and non-violence, was kidnapped on Friday by armed men near the Mauritanian border in Mali. The region is known for its precarious security and the presence of jihadist groups, sources close to the family and security officials confirmed on Saturday.

The abduction occurred as Tall was returning from a Ziyara, a religious gathering, in a convoy of three vehicles. According to a source close to his family, “Armed men stopped the convoy and left everyone else except him.” A Malian security source corroborated the kidnapping, emphasizing that all efforts were being made to locate the respected religious leader.

The Al-Qaeda-affiliated support group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM) asserts in a social media clip that religious leader Amadou Hady Tall was abducted. Two local sources translate the identical text of the post into French when questioned independently.

The kidnappers consider the Caliph from the Malian village of Nioro to be an “adversary”. He is accused of supporting the Malian state rather than the terrorists. JNIM also condemns the presence of Russian Wagner fighters on the ground, as well as the atrocities committed on civilians.

In exchange for his release, the jihadists want the religious leader to promise to cut off all ties with the Malian government.

Tall leads Tijâniya in Mali, a significant branch of Sufism in West Africa, and is well-known for his sermons promoting peace and denouncing the violent ideologies of jihadist groups that have destabilized the Sahel. His stance sharply contrasts with the strict and literal interpretations of Islam that these groups propagate.

Mali’s transitional military government, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, has distanced itself from its longstanding French ally and shifted its military and political alliances toward Russia. Despite promises of strengthened security, the abduction of such a prominent figure underscores the ongoing challenges facing the Sahelian nation.

The kidnapping of Amadou Hady Tall adds to a series of similar incidents that highlight the vulnerability of leaders who resist extremism in the region.