Updated on
Summary Mauritania called the killing in Mali of 16 preachers a barbaric massacre and an odious crime.
It was said in comments that underscore heightened tensions between the two neighboring nations.In a statement, Mauritanias Minister of Foreign Affairs describes the 16 people who were killed at a checkpoint in the central Malian town of Diabaly as 16 peaceful Muslim preachers and their killing as an indescribable criminal act, committed in cold blood without any warning against preachers who were armed with nothing more than their faith.The preachers, many of whom were Mauritanian, were traveling by road to Bamako to attend a religious conference. Early reports indicate the Malian military mistook them for the Islamic extremists who have seized the countrys north. The preachers were executed on Sunday.
