After surrounding the area, the soldiers patrolled through town, executing several men as they tried to flee, and detaining hundreds of unarmed men from the market and their homes. The detained men included Moura residents; traders from surrounding hamlets, villages, and towns who had come to attend the weekly Sunday market day; and some known Islamist fighters who had hidden their firearms and attempted to blend in with the population, the witnesses said.
The government forces took the detained men to an area east of the town, confiscated their telephones, and divided them into at least three groups. They ordered the detainees to lie down in the sun. The soldiers held them there until around 11 a.m. on March 31. During this time, the soldiers searched the town and, according to several residents, confiscated several firearms. They also allegedly stole jewelry, money, and other items from some households and burned dozens of motorcycles.
Over the four days, the soldiers ordered the detained men in groups of 4, 6, or up to 10, to stand up and walk for between several dozen and several hundred meters. There, the Malian and foreign soldiers summarily executed them. The witnesses said some victims were shot in the head, while other groups of men were sprayed by gunfire. One resident said, “the sound of gunfire rang out in our village from Monday to Thursday.”
