Al-Jazeera reported on 6 October 2021 that militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group (IS) had killed at least 16 soldiers and wounded 10 others in an attack near the village of Bodio in the Mopti region. World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Groups linked to al-Qaeda and IS have expanded their operations from their strongholds in Mali"s northern desert to the country"s central region as well as neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. The Mopti region in central Mali has become one of the most violent hotspots - ethnic-based killings and attacks on government forces are frequent there. There are ongoing efforts to quell the activities of these Islamic militants, but they have so far proved ineffective. In June 2021, French prime minister, ‚ Emmanuel Macron, announced a major reduction of France"s military presence in the Sahel, which caused Mali's interim prime minister to accuse France of "˜abandoning" the nation." Yonas Dembele continues: "Of the civilian population, Christians in Mali continue to be the most affected by the insecurity. In the northern part of the country, Islamic militants have worked hard to destroy evidence of any Christian presence. Until the situation is brought under control, Islamic oppression will continue to affect Christians for many years to come."