Abducted Malian religious leader dies

An eminent Malian Muslim leader has died after being kidnapped by insurgents in late December, according to an audio message attributed to a key militant leader circulating on social media Monday.

Thierno Amadou Hady Tall, who preached moderation and non-violence, was kidnapped near the Mauritanian border in an abduction blamed on an Al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group.

Tall was the General Caliph of the Tijaniyyah, one of the main branches of Sufism in West Africa.

He died after the kidnapping while being transferred to a location where he was to be interrogated, according to the audio recording attributed to one of the insurgent group's leaders Amadou Koufa.

Insurgent arrest

A family member speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity for safety reasons described the news of his death as "credible."

Tall had been wounded during the abduction as he returned from a religious meeting in a convoy of cars, the source said.

The insurgent group accused Tall of dealing with the Malian state, which is battling militant groups.

Mali has faced profound insurgent unrest since 2012, with the country's military rulers breaking ties with former colonial power France and turning politically and militarily towards Russia.

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