FAMa Drones Kill 10+ Civilians at Wedding Procession — Tene, San Region, Central Mali

Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) drones struck a motorbike procession of villagers in Tene locality, San Region, central Mali on May 18, 2026, killing at least 10 civilians who were gathering for the second edition of a traditional collective wedding ceremony. A local resident told AFP: 'Ten of our children' were killed; children were among the dead. A security source told AFP the drones targeted 'a procession of motorbikes following one another' that 'certainly' drew military attention — the pattern of motorcycle columns is associated with JNIM logistics across central Mali. A survivor stated: 'What was supposed to be a moment of joy in the village turned into immense sorrow.' The Malian junta has not issued a public statement on the incident as of May 19. The FAMa drone strike on Tene civilians follows a pattern of indiscriminate aerial targeting in the Mopti-Ségou corridor: FAMa has been deploying armed drones extensively since the April 25 JNIM-FLA offensive, and this is the second documented incident of drone strikes killing civilians in the region (following the May 7–8 JNIM attacks in Mopti and the FAMa-Dozo killings at Diafarabé, May 12–15). San Region (San town: 270 km northeast of Bamako) sits adjacent to Mopti Region — a core JNIM/Katiba Macina operational zone — and motorized movements have historically triggered military targeting. OHCHR, which had issued a 'gravely concerning' alert on Mali on May 5–6, has not yet publicly commented on the Tene strike. The event represents further evidence for the UN OHCHR's warnings about civilian harm patterns in Malian military drone operations.