Mali: Six soldiers killed in jihadist attack in north

Six Malian soldiers were killed in a jihadist attack on Friday in Bera in the country’s north, according to a report released by the army on Saturday. “GAT (Armed Terrorist Groups) left behind 24 corpses, 18 AK-47s (Kalashnikovs) and 12 motorcycles while fleeing,” she continues.

These clashes occurred after “an attempted invasion and harassing fire from terrorist groups on FAMa units (Malian Armed Forces) to be installed in Bera as part of Minusma’s right-of-way retrocession process”, the UN Mission in Mali, which is preparing to leave the country. The junta, in power in Mali since 2020, pushed the Security Council to decide in June that Minusma would be withdrawn by the end of the year.

The Behr area has also been the scene of tension for several days between the Malian army and the Russian paramilitary group Wagner on the one hand, and the Coordination of the Movements of Azawad (CMA, former Tuareg rebellion) on the other. .

Since 2012, Mali has been in the grip of a deep security crisis that began in the north and spread to the center of the country, as well as neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. The new Malian government turned to Moscow militarily and politically. The recent upheaval in Niger should allow Russia to increase its influence in the Sahel.

Tuareg condemn violation of “security measures”

In a press release sent to AFP on Saturday, the CMA, which controls large areas in the north, claims it has “been alerted to a series of maneuvers carried out against its positions by the Malian armed forces, escorted by the Wagner militia.”

“FAMa is insisting on occupying Minusma’s right of way at all costs, including those located in areas under the control of the CMA, and this is in violation of all security measures guaranteed so far by the UN mission and the international community,” she adds in this statement. , referring to the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement.

The CMA also criticizes the military for passing a new constitution in June that it believes jeopardizes the agreement. The junta has made sovereignty its mantra ever since it took over the country, broke its alliance with France, and launched the anti-Jihadist Operation Barkhane.