BAMAKO — Extremists seized control of Douentza Saturday, moving much closer to government-held territory in central Mali, according to witnesses in the town and a rebel spokesman. Residents say that early in the morning they saw a convoy of pickup trucks carrying bearded men enter the town, located about 800 km northeast of the capital, Bamako. Douentza is only 190 km miles from Mopti, which marks the line-of-control held by the Malian military. Islamist leader Oumar Ould Hamaha told The Associated Press by telephone that the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (known by the French acronym MUJAO) had seized Douentza after a brief standoff with the local self-defense militia, which formerly controlled the town. The head of the militia could not be reached, and his phone went straight to voicemail. “In the morning, when we encircled the town, we told them (the militia) to turn in their arms. They resisted a little. They tried to make phone calls to ask for reinforcements, but when they saw that no one was coming to help them they laid down their arms in order to avoid a bloodbath. We tied them up and they are now with us," said Hamaha. Moussa Ongoiba, a resident of Douentza, said that he counted at least 10 pickup trucks carrying the rebels. After patrolling the town the rebels took over a hotel at the entrance to Douentza, which now serves as their military base, he said. Before entering Douentza, they passed through Hombori, where residents also counted roughly the same number of pickup trucks. — AP
