Who Is Mariam Cisse? Brother 'Was in the Crowd' for TikTok Star's Public Execution

A woman TikTok star from Mali, named Mariam Cisse, has been abducted and executed in public by suspected members of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in the northern town of Tonka, according to multiple reports.

Her death, on or around 7 November, has reignited worries and fears about Mali's worsening security crisis.

Cisse is described in media reports as a young woman who had gained nearly 140,000 followers on TikTok by posting light-hearted videos about life in the Timbuktu region.

She often addressed social issues, and she expressed public support for the Malian army, sometimes wearing military attire in her videos.

Accused of Filming Jihadists

According to the Daily Mail, jihadist militants accused Cisse of filming them and collaborating with government forces. Allegedly, some armed men abducted her while livestreaming from a local fair in Tonka on 6 November.

Her brother told local media that militants accused her of 'informing the Malian army of their movements' before taking her away.

He said she was later brought to Independence Square in Tonka the following day, where she was executed before a crowd. He was reportedly forced to watch.

A security source, quoted anonymously by Amalaraj and other news outlets, confirmed that Cisse was killed in a public square by jihadists who accused her of having filmed them for the Malian army. The source described the killing as a 'barbaric act'.

The Suspected Role of Jihadists

Local officials and analysts believe the abductors were linked to Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated coalition and one of the most active jihadist groups in the Sahel.

Since the formation of JNIM in 2017, it has conducted multiple attacks across northern Mali. It remains one of two major jihadist groups in the region, alongside the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).

A local authority denounced the Tiktok star execution as an 'ignoble act', saying it was meant to intimidate civilians and discourage public support for the army.

Fuel Blockade and the Rising Tensions

The killing comes amid escalating violence and severe fuel shortages caused by JNIM's ongoing blockade in northern Mali.

The blockade has disrupted harvesting, closed schools and restricted access to electricity in several areas.

President Assimi Goïta recently urged citizens to conserve fuel while promising that his government would 'do everything possible to deliver fuel'.

Human rights experts have called his statement a sign of the junta's growing weakness in addressing the insurgency.

Instability and International Concern

Mali's ruling military junta, which seized power in 2020 and 2021, pledged to restore order and combat jihadist expansion. It has since cut ties with Western allies such as France and turned to Russian paramilitaries for support.

However, analysts say the state's control has eroded beyond the capital Bamako. Bakary Sambe of the Timbuktu Institute said the junta is now focusing its forces on protecting the regime rather than regaining lost territory.

As the security situation worsens, the United States and United Kingdom have withdrawn non-essential personnel from Mali, and several embassies, including France, have advised their citizens to leave the country.